Download - Downtown Express, December 7, 2011

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VOLUME 24, NUMBER 29 THE NEWSPAPER OF LOWER MANHATTAN DECEMBER 7 - 13, 2011

BY ALINE REYNOLDSThe First Precinct

and World Trade Center Command Center is moving its headquarters to W.T.C. Four, according to a recent announcement made by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and confi rmed by the New York Police Department.

The decision, which Bloomberg announced at the annual World Trade Center press conference on Sept. 7, came as a sur-prise to Community Board 1 Chairperson Julie Menin dur-ing an interview this week.

“I don’t know why we weren’t notifi ed — we asked to be notifi ed,” said Menin.

Relocating the precinct, now situated in Tribeca, to the W.T.C. site is a “question-able” move, she said. “I’d absolutely want to hear more from the Commissioner about this as to why it should be on the site itself. It has to be near the site, ‘cause it has to be proximate, but not [directly] on the site.”

Specifi cally, Menin fears that the precinct could become a potential terrorist target if it is located at the redeveloped W.T.C. rather

than in its vicinity — cit-ing former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s widely criticized move to place the then-police command center at 7 W.T.C.

“When 9/11 happened, so many of the top com-manders and offi cers at the site were out of communica-tion with the rest of the fi eld — that was a major issue,” said Menin.

Meanwhile, the newly formed W.T.C. Command Center, which has temporar-ily replaced the 1st Precinct horse stable on Ericsson Place, is now being scruti-nized for what is considered to be potentially unlawful alterations to the building.

“We don’t think the [city Landmarks Preservation Commission] approved it,” said C.B. 1 Landmarks Committee Chair Roger Byrom. “So we sent an e-mail to the [Department of Buildings] and the L.P.C. saying, ‘can you tell us what went wrong here.’”

L.P.C. Spokesperson Lisi de Bourbon said the com-missioners are investigating the matter per the commu-nity’s request. “It’s a land-marked building,” she said.

W.T.C. Command Center alterations questioned

BY CYNTHIA MAGNUSCommunity Board 1 is feeling left

out of the loop. A methadone clinic is moving into the neighborhood and some board members are disturbed because they weren’t notifi ed.

Representatives of Gramercy Park Services LLC, an uptown methadone clinic currently planning a move to 90 Maiden Lane will make a presenta-tion at the C.B. 1 Financial District Committee meeting on Wednesday to

explain their plans to sublease space and share a fl oor with an existing substance abuse treatment practice, Metropolitan Corporation for Life Skills.

Community Board 1 looking for facts on methadone clinic’s move

Continued on page 7Continued on page 18

SHE KILLS MONSTERS, P. 27

Downtown Express photo by Milo Hess

On Monday, Dec.5, a dense fog enveloped much of the city. Pier 25 in Tribeca appeared spared from the fog that hovered above the Hudson River.

A foggy bottom

December 7 - December 13, 20112 downtown express

NADLER PUTS INDIAN PT. BACK INTO SPOTLIGHT

On Friday, Dec. 2 U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler introduced legislation to help prevent a meltdown at the Indian Point Nuclear Plant and further safeguard New Yorkers in the event of a catastrophe.

The added protection was presented in the form of an amendment to the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011. In a statement released by the Congressman last week, the legislation, introduced by Republicans in the House of Representatives, was described as “counter-productive” to the safety of Americans.

Nadler called the new regulatory requirements “oner-ous” and said his amendment to the bill would “exempt rules proposed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from impediments to regulation.” Congressman Nadler added that his amendment would “keep his constituents and, indeed, all Americans” more safe.

NEW SOHO HOTEL PLANS TO RIVAL TRUMP

A new hotel at 525 Greenwich Street hopes to compete with the other trendy hotels in the neighborhood, like the Trump SoHo and the Mercer Hotel, once it opens its doors in 2013.

The hotel is reported to cost $60 million and construc-tion is set to begin before the year ends. The former park-

ing garage site, located on Greenwich between Spring and Vandam Streets, was acquired by the Fortuna Realty Group in a recent auction for $12.75 million. The build-ing will include 124 quest rooms, with an annual nightly rate of $400, as well as a 90-seat restaurant, according to the Real Deal, a magazine devoted to the real estate market.

MENIN FORMS 2013 COMMITTEE

Community Board 1 Chair Julie Menin offi cially announced her formation of a General 2013 Committee at last month’s C.B. 1 full board meeting.

“It’s not for any specifi c [elected] offi ce,” said Menin. “I will make that determination in the future.”

Menin’s announcement received some praise and positive feedback from various C.B. 1 members at the meeting.

“I was thrilled and gratifi ed by the board members’ com-ments,” said Menin. “It was very humbling.”

ANOTHER RADIO STATION IN HUDSON SQUARE

WCBS-A New York has offi cially joined its sister stations at 345 Hudson Street. The station was the sole remaining CBS New York radio affi liate to switch studios and move to the Hudson Square neighborhood. Broadcasts from the new studio began last Friday, Dec. 2.

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-9, 12-23, 31

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

YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 - 29

CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

C.B. 1MEETINGSA schedule of this week’s upcoming Community

Board 1 committee meetings is below. Unless otherwise noted, all committee meetings are held at the board offi ce, located at 49-51 Chambers St., room 709 at 6 p.m.

ON WED., DEC. 7: The Financial District Committee will meet.

ON THURS., DEC. 8: The Landmarks Committee will meet.

ON MON., DEC. 12: The World Trade Center Redevelopment Committee will meet.

ON TUES., DEC. 13: The Youth and Education Committee will meet.

DOWNTOWN DIGEST

downtown express December 7 - December 13, 2011 3

Seaport Museum volunteers go back to workBY TERESE LOEB KREUZER

The sun was shining on the East River waterfront on Dec. 3 — one of those blue-sky days of late fall that put a smile on the face for no reason at all — but the 45 people who assembled on Pier 16 that morning had plenty of reason to smile. In fact, they cheered.

After a hiatus of more than seven months, it was the fi rst day back for a group of volun-teers who not only had dedicated themselves to helping maintain the South Street Seaport Museum’s historic ships in the past, but who had fought to keep their condition in the public eye during the long period when the museum’s future was in doubt.

“I’m extremely excited to be back,” said Mike Cohen, one of the volunteers. “We feel it’s indicative of a turnaround.”

Jonathan Boulware, waterfront director for the South Street Seaport Museum, who has been with the museum for around a month, said, “Today the biggest project is to clean up the waterfront. It’s a chance to get trash out and sweep and mop – all the things you do in a fall or spring cleaning in your house.”

One of the volunteers pointed out a dumpster that they hoped to fi ll by the end of the day with trash from the 11 fl oating objects — ships and barges — owned by the museum.

“I don’t think it will come as a surprise to anyone that some of the boats are in some stage of disrepair,” said Boulware. “We’re still assessing where we are relative to the fl eet and looking at how we’re going to move forward. No decisions have been

made as yet.”Boulware added that a plan for what the

waterfront should be would guide decisions about the ships. “It’s less related to the condition of the vessels and more related to what the vision is for the seaport of the future,” he said.

“The Wavertree obviously needs a lot of work,” he commented, “but in terms of assessing the condition of a vessel, there’s a lot of ways to look at it. She is stable for the moment but in terms of getting her where we want her to be, there’s a lot to be done.”

Boulware, 39, worked with sailing ships and antique vessels before accepting his cur-rent job. He also has experience in shipyard project management and staff management.

“Prior to this I was running my own busi-ness of marine consultancy, principally, and shipyard project management but my career has been in sailing ships,” said Boulware. “There was no arm-twisting at all to get me to come here. I am super excited to be here. It is a really good match, I think, between what the Seaport needs and the challenge that it presents to me. It’s a welcome chal-lenge.”

Boulware also noted the Seaport Museum’s passenger-carrying vessels — the Pioneer, the Lettie G. Howard and the W.O Decker — are “being moved toward a state of operation. Particularly Pioneer will be sail-ing by spring. Lettie G. Howard has gone to Mystic Seaport to get worked on this winter. She’ll be back with us in the springtime.”

“Ships need constant maintenance, even

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Downtown Express photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer

After not having been able to work on the South Street Seaport Museum’s boats for more than seven months, 45 volunteers set to work on Dec. 3, moving spars and cleaning out debris.

Continued on page 21


Grand St. fi reFire broke at 319-21 Grand St. at

Orchard St. around 3 a.m. Sat., Dec. 3, and went to two alarms, bringing three com-panies to the scene. Firefi ghters brought the blaze under control in about an hour and residents were allowed to return to retrieve possessions. There was extensive damage and the cause of the fi re remains to be determined. But the fi ve-story 1886 cast iron building was said to be structurally sound. Built for Ridley & Sons Department Store, the building is under consideration for landmark status.

Wandering shopliftsTwo men who were observed walking

in and out of Soho boutiques on Friday afternoon Dec. 2 were arrested at 1:15p.m. in Palmer Trading Co. trying to walk of the shop at 137 Sullivan St. between Prince and Houston without paying for three sweaters, police said. The suspects, Tracey McKeever, 23, Darwell Jones, 24, both wanted on pre-vious warrants, were also in possession of stolen Prada sunglasses and a stolen iPhone, police said.

Subway rushA Queens student, 19, who got on a

crowded train on Wednesday morning Nov. 30 to get to her class in the Woolworth Building, 233 Broadway, discovered after she arrived at the class shortly after 8 a.m. that her wallet and cell phone had been sto-len from her bag, police said. She told police that she had been jostled a few times on her trip to Lower Manhattan.

Shoplifting A woman entered the Chanel boutique at

139 Spring St. near Wooster St. around 4:52 p.m. Sat., Nov. 26, took a handbag valued at $3,900 from a display, tucked it into a bag she was carrying and walked out without paying, police said. A surveillance camera taped the theft but it was too far away for an identifi able image of the suspect, police said.

A woman walked into the Sunglass Hut at 89 South St. in the South St. Seaport around noon on Mon., Dec. 5 and walked out with three Chanel sunglasses without paying for them.

Stroller hiding placeA woman who was shopping at Whole

Foods, 270 Greenwich St. near Murray St. on Tuesday night, Nov. 29 put her bag in the bottom of her baby stroller and

discovered later that it had been stolen and that unauthorized charges had been made on fi ve credit cards. The baby was not disturbed.

Car break-insA woman visiting from Honesdale, Pa.

parked her car in front of 50 Vandam St at Varick St. around 12:05a.m. Sat., Dec. 13, closed the windows and locked the door and went to a party in the neighbor-hood. She returned at 4:30 a.m. to find a window broken and her backpack with her cellphone, laptop computer, jewelry and her wallet with credit cards and jew-elry with a total value of $2,760 had been stolen.

A man parked his car at an indoor garage at 56 Greenwich St. near Edgar St at 7 a.m. Sun., Dec. 4 and returned at 9:50 p.m. to find the rear window had been broken and a suitcase, with clothing including shoes and a tuxedo with a total value of $1,145, had been stolen.

Vendor robbedA man and a woman approached a

street vendor on the northeast corner of Broadway and Barclay St. around 4 p.m. Sat., Nov. 5, asked the price of a baseball cap and a pair of gloves and fled with the money-- $10, -- and the merchandize. The vendor gave chase and caught up with them between Park Pl. and Murray St. where the male suspect punched him,

knocked him unconscious to the ground and fled with the accomplice, police said.

Robbed on Park Pl.A man, 18, sitting on a railing in front

of 75 Park Pl. between W. Broadway and Greenwich St. around 6 p.m. Sun., Dec. 4 was pushed over by a stranger who punched him in the face and demanded, “Give me your stuff,” police said. The suspect grabbed the victim’s bag, took out his wallet with ID and $60 cash, and fl ed.

Cab driver robbedA cab driver dropped off a man in front

of 1 New York Plaza at 1 Water St. around 10:09 p.m. Fri., Dec. 2 when the man punched he driver in the face, grabbed $10 from his hand and fl ed. The driver chased and caught the suspect who turned, punched the driver in the chest and pulled a box cut-ter and threatened to kill him before taking off again.

Mugged on Maiden La.A man was talking in his cell phone

around 10:10p.m. Fri., Dec. 2 when three suspects surprised him in front of 19 Maiden La. between Broadway and Nassau St., punched him, grabbed the phone, fl ed north on Broadway and disappeared into the Fulton St. subway station.

— Albert Amateau

“A Messiah to Beat in a Season Bursting With Them”

—The New York Times

T R I N I T Y W A L L S T R E E T

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TRINITY CHOIR Trinity Baroque Orchestra Julian Wachner, Conductor

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POLICE BLOTTER


Occupy Wall Street’s quest for new identityBY ZACH WILLIAMS

Occupy Wall Street turned a corner last week as activists sought to expand their support base in the wake of recent setbacks to the movement whose focus is on social and economic justice.

In the last week, labor unions, farmers, AIDS activists and others joined occupiers in actions throughout Lower Manhattan as the movement sought to reassert itself fol-lowing police raids on “Occupy” encamp-ments across the country.

While occupiers in NYC have expanded their outreach beyond Downtown, they face challenges in achieving a level of visibility comparable to three weeks ago when their encampment in Zuccotti Park was alive and thriving.

The Nov. 15 NYPD raid spurred them to shift from a reliance on long-term occupa-tion to a more decentralized approach that emphasizes specifi c themes in different places, occupiers said.

“They are all taking small slices of the problem and drawing attention to how the corruption of Wall Street and the govern-ment affects people,” said Linnea Palmer Paton, a member of the press team working group.

“It really shows the breadth of this movement and how much support there is across a variety of people,” said Paton.

But some outside the movement said

its goals remain vague. According to Ed Brown, an employee at Morgan Stanley on Wall Street, a lack of central leadership continues to hamper the movement.

“They should have come up with issued demands, had someone that coordinated it, made it more structured, more organized,” Brown said. “You always need to have a structure of leadership, a voice of the people.”

But the lack of a leadership-based hier-archy did not keep occupiers from orga-nizing in new ways this last week, Palmer Paton said. An initiative, which brought Occupy Wall Street activists to East New York Tuesday, in opposition to home evic-tions and foreclosures was just one part of a national effort which for the fi rst time was jointly organized by occupiers across the country, she added.

“In the past we would put out an action then other occupations would hear about it and plan their own which is different than what we can do now, she said. “We [now] have the capacity to organize together.”

The “day of action” followed a week of demonstrations when occupiers downtown rallied with supporters to draw attention in separate events to agricultural, health, housing and labor issues.

Farmers from across the country joined occupiers Sunday in a march for urban-rural solidarity against corporate control

over agriculture. Hundreds participated in the action which began near Tompkins Square Park and ended at Zuccotti Park which remains a prominent symbol for the movement.

Other actions meanwhile concentrated on making the presence of the movement better known in less conventional ways.

Dozens of acts performed before activ-ists and tourists as part of an “Occupy Broadway.” A slate of performances occu-pied Paramount Plaza near Times Square from Friday to Saturday evenings including “Hair” co-author James Rado and actress Kathleen Chalfant as well as several dozen other acts such as the Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping.

Performing, like occupying, empowers an audience as much as a performer, said Mike Daisey during a monologue perfor-mance.

“The trick to holding a space is to not hold it at all,” he said. “The trick is to give it back to the people who owned it in the fi rst place which would be your audience.”

The carefully-organized events resulted in little friction with law enforcement in contrast to measures taken by other activ-ists who preferred more confrontational approaches.

A closer relationship among occupiers and AIDS activists led to a demonstration Dec. 1 that temporarily blocked traffi c at

Broadway and Park Place. NYPD offi cers arrested a handful of demonstrators who refused to disperse.

The possibility of establishing a new central location for the movement in New York City has been discussed at the General Assembly meetings which decide through consensus the future direction of Occupy Wall Street. No decision on the issue has been made.

However, three activists took matters into their own hands Saturday by staging a hunger strike near the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Canal Street. They said in a statement that the strike was intended to pressure Trinity Church into allowing the movement to utilize a vacant lot the church owns.

“This is a call for escalation,” they said in the statement. “For our movement to grow we need new, outdoor space.”

The trio was arrested the following day by NYPD.

But occupiers remain confi dent that their numbers will grow despite challenges to the movement. According to recent Gallup polls, a growing number of Americans feel elected representatives are failing to solve the nation’s economic woes.

“If you look at Congress’ approval rat-ings you can see that the country as a whole doesn’t feel that Congress is representing their views,” Palmer Paton said.


World AIDS Day demo targets millionaires, Wall StreetBY PAUL SCHINDLER

With a crowd of several hundred nearby chanting, “End AIDS with a Wall Street tax, no more budget cuts on our backs,” 11 protesters blocked traffi c on Broadway for roughly 25 minutes just before noon on Dec. 1.

The World AIDS Day demonstration, which began at Zuccotti Park on Liberty Street, site of the nearly two-month Occupy Wall Street (OWS) encampment, borrowed tactics and rhetoric from that outpouring of activism to make the point that the tax code impedes efforts to fi nd suffi cient dollars for both the domestic and global war on AIDS.

Before the demonstrators marched north up Broadway to City Hall, speakers at Zuccotti Park called for a “millionaire’s tax” in NY State that would shift a greater part of the burden onto the wealthiest and a fi nancial transaction or “Robin Hood” tax to generate more money at the federal level to increase the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

The demonstration employed the “human mic” made famous in the OWS general assembly meetings, in which the crowd repeated the words of each speaker to amplify their message.

And, the 11 protesters who blocked Broadway at Park Place just west of City Hall Park wore green Robin Hood outfi ts, with their shirts reading, “Bank $, Take It Back.”

That group, which included Charles King, the president of Housing Works, an AIDS services group, fanned out across Broadway at roughly 11:40 a.m., blocking southbound traffi c. Police allowed them to stand there for about fi ve minutes, and then began arresting them.

King and four others, however, were chained together and the NYPD apparently

lacked a chain cutter to separate them. The fi ve laid down on the street as the police scrambled to open several lanes of Broadway traffi c. Police also attempted to drag the fi ve protesters to the sidewalk, but soon gave up that effort.

After another ten minutes passed, police wielded two sets of cutters, separated the fi ve, and arrested them.

Other groups participating in the protest included VOCAL-NY, which does politi-cal organizing among HIV-positive people, drugs users, and those formerly incarcer-ated; Health GAP, which advocates for an end to treatment barriers worldwide; and Bailey House, the city’s oldest AIDS housing organization.

The protest focused particular attention on the housing needs of people living with AIDS, criticizing Bloomberg administration cuts in city services for such housing of $10 million over the past year as well as the mayor’s opposition to capping the rents for PWAs living in privately-owned housing for which they receive government assistance at 30 percent of their income.

Gina Quattrochi, who heads Bailey House, said she boycotted Bloomberg’s annual AIDS breakfast at Gracie Mansion to protest the administration’s “draconian cuts to AIDS housing.”

Charlene Cooper, who told the crowd she’s been an AIDS activist for more than a decade, said she did attend the Gracie Mansion event.

“The mayor, as usual, lied to people with AIDS,” Cooper said. “He stated that the New York City HIV and AIDS Services Administration has improved, and we know better.”

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

Fighting to make Lower Manhattan the greatest place to live, work, and raise a family.



Last Thursday, Dec. 1 on World AIDS, protesters blocked Broadway at Park Place just west of City Hall Park wearing green Robin Hood outfi ts.


Questions about command center

“We’re looking into whether a permit would be needed [to make renovations],” she said. “It’s not clear whether you needed one to begin with.”

C.B. 1 member Michael Connolly, president of the condominium at 27 North Moore Street, also raised the issue of noise and lights emanat-ing from the newly constructed stairwell, which has purportedly been a disturbance to nearby residents.

“At the end of the day, I want the horses to come back,” said Connolly. “In the meantime, we need to address quality of life issues created by building a new staircase in the alley adjacent to the windows of a residential building.”

The nearby residents are outraged about it, said Connolly.

“They said, ‘how could this happen?’” noted Connolly.

The residents who complained weren’t avail-able for comment as of press time.

Meanwhile, construction of W.T.C. 4 is well underway, according to Malcolm Williams, construction manager for Developer Silverstein Properties, who recently gave a tour of the tower to the Downtown Express.

Once fully built out, W.T.C. 4 will have a larger fl oor plate than does W.T.C. 7 but will share other features with its predecessor, such as a study, concrete core; massive, column-free fl oors; and fl oor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the metropolitan area.

So far, the bottom half the building has been leased out: a quarter of it to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the other quarter to the city, which in addition to the fi rst precinct will house the NYC Human Resources Administration. While offi ce workers will enter the completed building on Greenwich Street, shoppers will access the building via Church Street, according to Williams.

As of late November, steel construction reached 56 stories, while construction of the tower’s outer curtain wall is 32 stories high. Workers are just beginning to install the build-ing’s mechanical systems and elevators.

However the tower’s construction isn’t all that rosy. Williams and a team of engineers met with Liberty Street resident Howard and other local residents who recently expressed angst about pedestrian congestion caused by a sidewalk shed Silverstein erected last summer on the southern side of Liberty Street between Church and Greenwich Streets.

However, the engineers agreed with offi cials’ previous claims that nothing could be done to accelerate the speed of constructing W.T.C. 4’s southern façade — which, once fi nished, will eliminate the need for the sidewalk shed.

W.T.C. 3, also being handled by Silverstein, is now above grade by two levels. W.T.C. 2, whose foundations and basement levels will be built out by next September, is guaranteed only seven fl oors’ worth of fi nancing by the Port Authority until the developer fi nds a 400,000-square-foot tenant (or approximately 10 fl oors) for the tower.

Continued from page 1


BY TERESE LOEB KREUZERThe tables and chairs that turn pedestri-

ans-only Stone Street into an outdoor dining mecca from April 1 to Nov. 30 have been put away for the season but Stone Street still offers lots of dining and drinking cheer. There are a dozen restaurants on the two short blocks between Hanover Square and 85 Broad St. — the former headquarters of Goldman Sachs that was fi nished in 1983 and bifurcated historic Stone Street. In Dutch times, the street went all the way to Broadway as a plaque inset into the pave-ment on the east side of 85 Broad plainly shows. The inset, based on a Dutch map from 1660, calls the street “Hoog Straat,” but in Nieuw Amsterdam it was also called “Brewers’ Street” because the Dutch West India Co. built a brewery there in 1632. Given the current incarnation of the street, those Dutch burghers would probably feel right at home.

The newest restaurant on Stone Street is The Growler, which opened less than two months ago. It sells more than 20 kinds of beer plus an extensive menu of other potables. Patrons can take home a 64-ounce growler jug of their favorite brew for $24. Picking up on the dog theme, The Growler offers a variety of hot dogs and sausages plus sandwiches and bar bites. The kitchen stays

open until 3 a.m., but drinks are the main attraction.

The Growler comes to Stone Street cour-tesy of the Poulakakos family, who are also backers of several other restaurants on the street including Financier, Adrienne’s Pizzabar, Ulysses, Vintry and Harry’s Café and Steak.

In 2000, working with Harry Poulakakos and Tony Goldman, both of whom owned property on Stone Street, the Alliance for Downtown New York invested $1.8 million to repave the street with granite and to install bluestone sidewalks and old-fashioned-look-ing street lights that could have come out of 19th-century London. The investment turned Stone Street from a dilapidated back alley into a thing of beauty worthy of its authentic, early 19th-century buildings that had once served as mercantile offi ces and warehouses.

Harry Poulakakos who, with his wife Adrienne, had run a restaurant called Harry’s at 1 Hanover Square since the early 1970s, opened Financier at 62 Stone St. in 2002 — the fi rst of the restaurants that are still on the street. Financier sells tantalizing pas-tries and cakes plus soups, sandwiches and salads. There are now 11 Financier shops in

Even in winter, food is key to historic street



Caption


The remaining offi cial NYC Gridlock Alert Days are Friday, Dec. 9; Thursday, Dec. 15; Friday, Dec. 16; Wednesday, Dec. 21; Thursday, Dec. 22 and Friday, Dec. 23. These are days where the city (along with Transit Sam) is advising people to use mass transit as a way to reduce traffi c congestion. The closer we get to Chanukah and Christmas at the end of December, the heavier traffi c will be.

Also jammed now through New Years are shopping areas throughout the city, including J & R Music World on Park Row by the Brooklyn Bridge and along Broadway in SoHo.

A variety of overnight traffi c impacts will be felt in Lower Manhattan due to construc-tion and resurfacing over the next few days. John Street between Broadway and Nassau will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday night through Sunday morn-ing for construction. Broad Street between South and Beaver, South Street between Old Slip and Whitehall Street and Battery Place from Thames to West Street will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly through Saturday morning.

One of two lanes on the North Upper Roadway of the Manhattan Bridge into Manhattan will be closed from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

From the mailbag:

Dear Transit Sam,Are you allowed to park with an NYC

Handicap Placard in a municipal lot? Do you have to feed the meter like the State Handicap Permit?

Carol, Lower East Side

Dear Carol,Municipal lots, where muni-meters are

pay and retain, are the only places in NYC where both the NYC Handicap Placard and NYS Handicap Permit are valid. The key difference here is that the NYC Placard does not require you to feed the meter. The State permit does, although sources have told me that the meter rule with the State Permit is not heavily enforced. I still wouldn’t risk a ticket though.

Transit Sam

Confused about ever changing traffi c reg-ulations and transit operations? Need help navigating around lower Manhattan? If so, please send me an e-mail at [email protected] or write to Transit Sam, 611 Broadway, Suite 415, New York, NY 10012

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EDITORIAL


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GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Vince Joy

CONTRIBUTORS

Terese Loeb Kreuzer • David Stanke • Jerry Tallmer

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Milo Hess • Jefferson Siegel • Terese Loeb Kreuzer

B.R.C., a good neighborSome neighbors greet new arrivals with best wishes

and hands extended in friendship. Others reserve judg-ment until a newcomer’s accumulated deeds prove their worth. A vocal few, however, steadfastly refuse to acknowledge the established presence of a worthy addi-tion — and, in doing so, erode the integrity of the very community they purport to defend.

The Bowery Residents’ Committee has been operating programs out of their 127 W. 25th St. location since the end of July. For more than a year, a succession of court decisions have consistently validated B.R.C.’s right to be here. We’re glad they are — because the organization’s ambitious new vertical campus is providing an invalu-able service not only to Chelsea, but to the entire city of New York.

Although this new facility accommodates a signifi cantly larger number of clients than were served at its Lafayette St. and Bowery locations, B.R.C. has answered concerns raised by neighbors in a timely, effi cient and effective manner — dispatching mobile response teams within minutes of receiving quality-of-life complaints, and remov-ing troublesome clients from the premises. Since the day this facility has opened, we’ve made a point to walk the block often, and at all hours — and have found little if any evidence to support claims of disheveled, inebriated, sexu-ally menacing panhandlers out of proportion to what one regularly fi nds elsewhere in the surrounding area. More often, we’ve found minor quality-of-life infractions, such as sidewalk congestion and smoking, being committed by those who work on the block or passersby whose upscale aesthetics suggest they are not affi liated with B.R.C.

After seeing this facility go through a long, necessary and very public vetting process, we now have an obliga-tion (rooted as much in morality as good citizenship) to acknowledge the reality of B.R.C.’s presence — while working with them in order to ensure that the neighbor-hood’s quality of life remains intact.

Although the shelter’s size was a source of legitimate dispute, few who’ve made even a cursory effort to examine B.R.C.’s track record can discredit their effectiveness. It is disheartening to see some of our neighbors using their pub-lic position and considerable fi nancial resources to mount ongoing legal actions while dismissing and challenging every court decision favorable to B.R.C.

Such actions are made even less palatable given the fact that the Chelsea Flatiron Coalition has yet to accept an open offer from B.R.C. Executive Director Muzzy Rosenblatt to tour the facility — or join other individuals and local organizations in attending B.R.C.’s Community Advisory Committee meetings (held at 5:30 p.m. on the fi rst Tuesday of the month). We encourage all concerned individuals to attend these meetings, where Rosenblatt himself will address your concerns.

To see the B.R.C. facility and speak with its clients (as we have) is to respect and admire the diffi cult work of achieving and maintaining sobriety. Even a brief amount of time spent on their Web site (brc.org) will serve as an effective primer to understanding the integrity and dedi-cation that B.R.C. brings to its mission of taking addicts off the street, facilitating their sobriety and placing them in stable living situations.

For years, they’ve offered long-term stability to any individual willing to make a sincere commitment — all while having no discernable impact on the surrounding area’s public safety or property values.

Unprecedented and ambitious as it is in size, we’re nevertheless proud to welcome B.R.C. to Chelsea — and confi dent that it will become a model for the city, state and country. Like the clients whose lives this organiza-tion helps turn around, it’s time for B.R.C.’s opponents to come in from the cold.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORReturning the kind words

To the Editor:I was touched by the kind words you

wrote about your local elected offi cials in your Nov. 23 editorial, “Why we’re thank-ful.” Your recognition of our hard work on behalf of Lower Manhattan residents is greatly appreciated.

Let me take this opportunity to express how thankful and how humbled I am for the privilege of being able to represent the world’s greatest community: Lower Manhattan. We are truly a wonderfully diverse, compas-sionate and endlessly resilient community. I believe such a strong community deserves a strong local newspaper and that is exactly what we have in the Downtown Express. Keep up the good work!

To all of my neighbors in Lower Manhattan, I wish you a happy, healthy holi-day season and New Year.

Sincerely,

Sheldon SilverSpeaker of NYS Assembly

Stop thanking O.W.S.

To the editor: I am so sick of these people support-

ing O.W.S. I don’t say they are all bad; I understand what it is like to be unemployed elementary school teacher. I also know the pain of trying to pay back a loan for my master’s in elementary education.

What I disagree with is that O.W.S. does not care about New Yorkers who do work, children trying to get to school, or otherwise disrupting the city. I live on the Lower East Side and could not get around Downtown for interviews.

How is what O.W.S. helping me, who is looking for work, or other New Yorkers just trying to get to work that day? Or small chil-dren trying to go to school and being scared by people from O.W.S.? When I speak and ask people from O.W.S., all they say is this is pro-test and that their message is more important than people unconvinced about the movement.

Then there are these liberals who thank them with disrupting the city by serving 1,000 of them Thanksgiving dinner, with all the trimmings. When I asked one of them about why they don’t give money to soup kitchens that are struggling to feed the grow-ing unemployed and families, they answer that they do feed them at the park. For those who love them so much, maybe you should invite them to your area to stay.

Leslie Sicklick

My Occupy wish list

To the Editor:First, let me say how happy I am that

this movement is gathering momentum and energy, riding a wave of success in the wake

of its worldwide actions on Nov. 17.Watching Donald Trump on Fox the day

after these triumphant protests, I noticed something interesting. The Donald issued a lengthy, scathing critique of outsourcing, globalization and corporate control of poli-tics. He almost sounded like a liberal! My gut feeling is that this is a direct result of O.W.S. morphing into the political phenomenon of our time. It’s enough to make a Republican want to do the right (with a small “r”) thing!

Though it has resisted a list of specifi c demands up to now, I don’t believe it under-mines O.W.S.’s mission of raising conscious-ness and being a systemic force for political, cultural and social change for it to include such a concrete wish list. I see it more as a both/and, rather than an either/or situation. Being specifi c about demands can also help O.W.S. form its own electoral component — and run its own slate of candidates (from the president on down) in the 2012 elections.

Here is my list, though I welcome others to create their own:

1. Repeal Citizen’s United immediately. Elections need to be funded fairly by public, not private money.

2. Raise the top tax rate back to 75 per-cent. Trickle-down economics simply doesn’t work, despite what the Ayn Rand cultists say.

3. Create full employment with a New Deal-like jobs program, with a focus on “green energy,” high-speed rail and medical research.

4. Curb Wall St.’s excesses by banning toxic instruments, like derivatives, C.D.O.s and “put options” — which, incredibly, allow you to bet that a company will fail!

5. Provide free universal healthcare for all, with a public option.

6. Establish a 25-hour work week.7. Make deep education reforms, with an

emphasis not just on math and science, but also on critical thinking, history, the arts and the moral imagination.

This is by no means a radical platform.There are folks on the far left, embold-

ened by O.W.S., who want to eliminate capi-talism completely. If the callous “let them eat cake” austerity hawks, like the Scott Walkers and Rick Perrys (and Obama who, though he puts on a slick front, is really in Wall St.’s pocket), continue to be the politi-cal face of America, expect these more radi-cal movements to only get stronger — like they did in the 1930s.

John BredinMember of the Village Independent Democrats

Downtown Express welcomes letters to The Editor. They must include the writer’s fi rst and last name, a phone number for confi rmation purposes only, and any affi liation that relates directly to the letter’s subject matter. Letters should be less than 300 words. Downtown Express reserves the right to edit letters for space. Letters should be e-mailed to [email protected] or can be mailed to 515 Canal St., N.Y., N.Y. 10013.


TALKING POINT

DOWNTOWN NOTEBOOK

Time to act on low-cost tour bus industry

As one “occupation” fades, another thrives

On Thursday, the City Council will take an important step in signaling its support for enhanced safety requirements for discount and low-cost tour bus opera-tors. Two resolutions will come before the full Council for a vote, Resolution 892 and Resolution 1000, which call upon our counterparts at the federal and state level to increase regulation of an industry that has been plagued by tragic accidents across our nation.

Members of the Council have joined together to support Resolution 892, which calls on Congress to pass “The Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2011.” If passed, this legislation will improve safety for passengers on intercity buses by requiring buses to have seat belts, stronger windows, crush-resistant roofs, and safety inspec-tions for all new bus companies within the fi rst 18 months after operations begin.

We are proud that this legislation has received the support of the Council. At the federal level, “The Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act,” also known as the Lewis Bill, is supported by President Barack Obama, U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Representatives Jerrold Nadler and Nydia Velázquez.

Over the past year, there have been an unacceptable number of fatal acci-dents involving intercity buses, including

two horrifi c crashes within a three-day period this March, which resulted in 17 fatalities and numerous injuries. The fi rst crash occurred in the Bronx and killed 15 people, while the second occurred in New Jersey and killed two people. Both buses provided service to or from Chinatown. The loss of life hit very close to home and renewed the push from New York elected offi cials for expanded oversight of intercity bus industry. In the six months of 2011 alone, there were at least ten motorcoach crashes resulting in more than 20 fatalities and over 130 injuries nationwide. This stands in stark contrast with the number of overall number of highway deaths, which has steadily fallen since 2005.

It is disturbing that federal oversight of these intercity bus carriers is almost non-existent. Federal law prohibits routine inspection of buses while they are en route, which constrains inspections of overnight trips and allows checkpoints at rest stops to be easily evaded. Carriers have been known to simply transfer their vehicles and drivers after receiving poor safety ratings; and according to reports by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the required documentation from the owners behind these bus companies is diffi cult to come by.

Over 2000 low-cost, discount buses operated by 75 different companies leave

New York City on a daily basis. The majority of curbside bus companies rely on brokers, who are not subject to federal jurisdiction, to sell tickets. These brokers are not required to disclose the name of the carrier to consumers, which makes it almost impossible for passengers to research a company’s safety record.

In its November 2011 report, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that low-cost providers who pick up passengers at the curb had the higher overall accident rate and death and injured person rate. From January 2005 to March 2011, the fatality rate for curbside pick-up operators was 1.9 persons killed for every 100 vehicles, as compared to 0.2 for carriers that operate out of a terminal. Curbside carriers also had higher violation rates with regards to fatigued driving and driver fi tness. The N.T.S.B. concluded that accidents involving curbside carri-ers where more likely to result in injury or death. The report also mentioned that motorcoach safety was strongly infl uenced by the carriers that own these buses and the drivers that operate them.

To this end, on Thursday the City Council will also vote on a companion res-olution, Resolution 1000, calling on New York State Assembly and the Governor to pass and sign into law legislation requir-ing intercity bus drivers to undergo back-

ground checks. Under current state law only school

bus drivers are required to undergo a background check for employment. Since March 2011, the New York State Department of Transportation has con-ducted over 1,200 random checks of inter-state buses which have resulted in 124 bus drivers being taken off the road, with 14 percent of these drivers having improper or suspended licenses. The New York State Senate voted in support of this legislation earlier this year.

At a time when gas prices are rising and the cost of travel overall is increasing, low-cost, discount tour buses are a quick, effi -cient, and cost-effective travel options for hundreds of millions Americans. Intercity bus travel grew by 24% in 2010 and does not show signs of slowing down. We can-not act quickly enough to ensure that this growing industry is subject to basic safety and reporting regulations.

This op-ed was co-written by Christine Quinn, Speaker of the New York City Council; Councilmember Margaret Chin, representative for District-1, Lower Manhattan, and primary sponsor of Resolution 892; Councilmember James Vacca, Chair, Committee on Transportation; and Councilmember James Gennaro, pri-marily sponsor of Resolution 1000.

BY ALINE REYNOLDS While in London last week, I couldn’t

help but check out Occupy London Stock Exchange (O.L.S.X.) — whose encampment is thriving in spite of eviction attempts by the city.

On Wednesday, Nov. 30 tens of thou-sands of British citizens around the country demonstrated in the streets to dispute recent governmental negotiations on pensions. As a result of the nationwide strike, two-thirds of the nation’s public schools closed and scores of hospitals ceased or postponed scheduled surgeries. It was deemed by the Trades Union Congress (T.S.U.) to be the largest nationwide strike of our generation.

On that day, municipal police were keep-ing a close eye on the demonstrators that assembled at the embankment, and on those that congregated at the nearby Trafalgar Square. Some of the demonstrators proudly wore “99 percent” T-shirts and other attire demonstrating their allegiance to O.L.S.X.

The O.L.S.X. movement was directly inspired by Occupy Wall Street. Nearly a month after O.W.S. sprouted in Lower Manhattan, British public sector workers, intellectuals, students and other activists similarly banned together in London and

elsewhere in the United Kingdom to protest austerity, fi nancial inequality and political elitism; as well as other perceived injustices such as racism and wasteful forms of energy production.

Since mid-October, O.L.S.X. has been camping out next to St. Paul’s Cathedral, situated in the nexus of London’s fi nancial district dubbed the “Square Mile.” As does O.W.S., the British protesters hold General Assemblies, working group meetings and other public sessions to shed light on the economic and social inequalities they seek to change. Also mimicking O.W.S., the dem-onstrators have created a regularly updated website, www.occupylsx.org, as well as a weekly newspaper, “The Occupied Times of London.”

More than 200 tents of all different sizes and colors line the sprawling plaza sur-rounding the cathedral. Many of them were covered with signage decrying social wrong-doings and promoting quotes of revolution-ary authors such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Messages also covered the columns of an atrium that diagonally faces the plaza. “The world’s resources must go towards caring Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds

An “Occupy London Stock Exchange” demonstrator across from St. Paul’s Cathedral last week holds a sign demanding the restoration of public services. Continued on page 22


Robin Hoods block Broadway

Samantha Levine, a spokesman for Bloomberg, responded that city funding for HASA increased roughly $100 million during his ten years in offi ce, from $149.1 million to $248 million, representing a 40 percent increase in spending per client during that period.

“HASA provides greater care and support for people with HIV or AIDS than anywhere in the country,” she said in an email message. “Thankfully, people diagnosed today with clinical symptomatic HIV illness or with AIDS in NYC are living longer, and HASA remains the most comprehensive program of its kind.”

Michael Tikili, a 25-year-old HIV-positive Health GAP staff member who noted he’s “never known a world without AIDS,” said he had “a message for Bloomberg and Obama: Tax Wall Street for the good of the people.”

Speakers and marchers alike demanded that the state tax rate on millionaires be raised while noting that the mayor is a billionaire. Though Bloomberg has consistently argued that higher taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers would drive them to change their legal residence, the crowd was silent about the most important player in the Albany debate over taxes –– Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo.

In his fi rst year in offi ce, the governor has echoed the mayor’s thoughts on a millionaire’s tax, saying the current recession is not a time for increasing anyone’s burden. This week, however, the Wall Street Journal reported that Cuomo is rethinking that position, though a spokesman for the governor told that newspaper no change is currently under consideration.

Health GAP’s Tikili was as outspoken about the Obama administration as he was about the mayor. Noting that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently pledged, in his words, “to create a generation without AIDS,” he added, “Talk is cheap.” He asked how the administration was “fos-tering a generation free of HIV/ AIDS” when it was offering no increase in funding for the Global Fund and negotiating trade agreements that strengthen the intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical companies at the expense of pro-grams to distribute generic drugs to millions of HIV-infected people in the developing world.

A press release from the protest’s organizers stated that the Global Fund has said it cannot make new grants over the next two years because of broken pledges from donor nations.

As the demonstration was winding up, however, Health GAP issued a press release applauding Obama for commit-ting in his World AIDS Day address, delivered moments before, to increase the number of people with access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatments by six million through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

“The president just put a powerful down payment toward the end of the AIDS crisis,” Matthew Kavanagh, Health GAP’s director of US advocacy, said in that release.

According to Health GAP, about 6.6 million people in “low and middle income countries” currently receive ARVs –– 3.2 million through PEPFAR, a US effort separate from the Global Fund.

Other advocacy groups, such as the AIDS Institute in Washington, also praised Obama’s statement.

Sean Barry, one of the directors of VOCAL-NY, termed the president’s announcement “genuinely good news,” but noted that no additional funding had specifi cally been pledged.

Barry also addressed treatment guidelines announced December 1 by the Bloomberg administration recommend-ing that ARVs be offered to people as soon as they are diag-nosed with the virus.

The Associated Press reported that City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said that about 66,000 of the more than 110,000 New Yorkers living with HIV currently receive treatment and that his new recommendation would initially make ARVs available to another 3,000. The state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), funded in part by federal dollars, would guarantee drug access for uninsured or underinsured HIV-positive people not eligible for Medicaid.

Barry was dismissive of the news out of the health depart-ment.

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2011 is the year of the holiday cactusBY JOHN BAYLES

The typical street decoration this time of year usually consists of illuminated, twin-kling stars hoisted atop a street light or Christmas trees strategically placed along a sidewalk. But for Hudson Square, typical just isn’t good enough.

This holiday season, the Hudson Square Connection, the neighborhood’s Business Improvement District, decided to think out-side of the box. Instead of the traditional décor, the B.I.D. decided upon something less ordinary: fl aming cacti.

The origin of the cacti can be traced back to a Request for Proposal issued by the city’s Dept. of Transportation in 2008; part of the requirement to submit an application was the promise to utilize property owned by the D.O.T. Preston Dane and his partners at the art collective which goes by the name, Animus, received approval in 2009 for their idea to convert ordinary street lights into structural art. However, they were initially told the funds were not yet available for their project.

“The lampposts were an idea that just popped into my head,” said Dane. “We didn’t have any money. Our art is born out of thinking in terms of how to get the biggest bang for the buck.”

Animus’ fi rst art project was the Animus Arbor, which appeared at the 2008 Burning Man Festival in Nevada. It was a gigantic

weeping willow tree made solely out of glow-ing strands of light.

“The word ‘animus’ comes from the Latin root for spirit or animating force,” said Dane. “We saw it as the spirit of the tree.” In August of last year the art group received

the go ahead from the D.O.T. and quickly created the fi rst fl aming cacti installation at Astor Place in the East Village.

The fl aming cacti that now line the streets in Hudson Square and inhabit the urban plaza next to the Trump SoHo Hotel could

similarly be seen as the “spirit” that defi nes the neighborhood in which they exist.

“The idea was to try and capture the cre-ativity that is here in Hudson Square,” said Ellen Baer, president of the Hudson Square Connection. “When I saw them at Astor Place, my fi rst impression was this would be a cool thing to expand on. I thought, it’s consistent with the theme and vibe of Hudson Square.”

One of the B.I.D.’s main goals, since its inception, has been analyzing and improving the area’s streetscape. Baer said public art is essential when it comes to realizing that goal.

“This is laying the foundation for public art’s role in our streetscape,” said Baer.

Constructing the fl aming cacti was a two-part process, said Dane. In total, the 15 street lamps and the 9 light poles in the urban plaza next to the Trump SoHo contain a total of 52,000 zip ties.

“The process involves making sure every zip tie is inked into the next one,” said Dane. “We feed them into each other to make one, long strand.”

That part of the process was done off-site over one weekend, in which, according to Dane, each of the 52,000 zip ties were touched by hand at least twice. Twenty-fi ve volunteers helped Animus in the fi rst phase

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Downtown Express photo by John Bayles

The nine light poles in the urban plaza next to the Trump SoHo Hotel showcase the Flaming Cacti produced by the art collective Animus.



BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER

THE HABIT OF GIVING: Vince Smith, who has had a hairdressing salon in Battery Park City for more than 20 years, makes a habit of using his skills and resources for charity. Most recently, on Dec. 4, he donned a Santa Claus suit and opened his salon at 300 Rector Place to anyone who wanted a photo taken with Santa for $25, which Smith donated to Stockings With Care. This charity, founded by Battery Park City resi-dent Rosalie Joseph, provides holiday gifts to children in crisis — shopping for exactly what the children say they want and giving the gifts to a child’s family to present to the child so that the parent can shine in the child’s eyes. He raised $850 for Stockings With Care — enough to buy gifts for eight or nine children.

Smith was spurred to think about how to help others by the events of 9/11. In the aftermath, he arranged to have a trauma counselor visit the salon twice a week for two years to help customers and staff cope with their grief. At the fi rst Battery Park City block party in 2002, he and his team staged a “Cut-a-Thon” to raise money

for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. In 2003, he celebrated his 13th anniversary in business with a Halloween fundraiser for multiple sclerosis. Then, in 2005 and 2006, he got even more ambitious, sponsoring, producing and performing in musical fund-raisers at the Museum of Jewish Heritage to raise money for small businesses in Lower Manhattan that were having trouble stay-ing afl oat because of the September 11 catastrophe. “Our business was OK,” he said, “but I wanted to do something to help businesses that were still hurting. I was able to raise $10,000 and give two $5,000 grants.”

This year, he donated $1 from every ser-vice between March 15 and April 30 to the Red Cross to help people in northern Japan who were suffering from the tsunami. He has also over the years donated salon services to silent auctions that benefi t local schools and daycare centers, no-kill animal shelters and what he calls other “worthy causes.”

He is the only Battery Park City small business owner who, year in and year out, has been so generous in his support of others in need. Even without a Santa Claus suit, he has been Father Christmas.

STOCKINGS WITH CARE STILL NEEDS DONATIONS: Stockings With Care has received requests for holiday gifts from 1,500 homeless New York City children — but going into the fi nal week when the gifts will be sorted, wrapped and shipped to the social service agencies that will distribute them, 300 children are without a “Santa” to brighten their holiday morning.

Caroline Willoughby, the Stockings With Care drive coordinator, is asking for more “Santas.” “When you sign up you will get a child’s name and wishes and then you (Santa) purchase the gifts and deliver them to us on Dec. 8 or 9,” she said in an email. “If you don’t have time to shop, you can make a donation and we will do the shopping for you.” It costs between $60 and $125 to provide gifts for one child, depending on the child’s age and requests. All contributions are fully tax deductible. In addition to money, volunteers are needed on Thursday, Dec. 8, to help set up the gift distribution cen-ter at 126 Leroy St. in Greenwich Village, and on Sunday, Dec. 11 to clean up after-ward. For more information, go to www.stockingswithcare.org.

BATTERY PARK CITY TREE LIGHT-ING: The annual Battery Park City tree lighting takes place on Dec. 8 in South Cove, starting at 5:45 p.m. There will be singing and a visit from Santa. The Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, which orga-nizes the event, asks that those who attend bring a new, unwrapped gift for donation to Stockings With Care, which will give the gifts to children and teens living in shelters.

TREE TIPS: Three vendors are selling Christmas trees in Battery Park City this year. Lifetime Vending has an elaborate stand in front of Battery Place Market, 77 Battery Place, with trees, wreaths, lights and a variety of ornaments. Hudson Produce at 300 Albany St. is selling trees and wreaths as are vendors based in a truck parked on South End Avenue near Gateway Plaza.

At Lifetime Vending, which also has a stand at Greenwich and Chambers Streets

in Tribeca, trees range in size from two feet to 19 feet and in price from $25 to $600. Delivery is $20 and includes installation. Heather Lossmann, who runs the stand, says that she sells fi ve kinds of trees: Fraser fi rs from North Carolina, Noble and Grand fi rs from Washington State, Balsams from two sources in Canada and Douglas fi rs from New Jersey. Frasers last the best, says Lossmann, but her favorite trees are the Grand fi rs because of the way they smell. Lossmann gets a new delivery of trees every week and will help customers pick out trees that fi t their budget. “That’s my favorite part,” she said. “I never let anyone leave without a tree.” Call (609) 665-7283 for more information.

Hudson Produce sells Fraser fi rs ranging in size from four-and-a-half feet to eight feet and in price from $40 to $80. Free delivery is included. Call (212) 945-0500 for more information.

BATTERY PARK CITY SENIORS’ POT-LUCK DINNER: On Thursday, Dec. 15 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Battery Park City seniors’ group will hold its annual potluck supper in the Battery Park City Authority community room at West Thames Street and the Hudson River. All seniors are invited and are welcome to bring a friend or a spouse along with a dish to share. Tom Goodkind and Wade Watson will provide musical entertainment. Ruth Ohman, who is orga-nizing the evening, asks those who wish to attend to call her or email her to reserve a place and to let her know what dish they will be bringing. Her email is [email protected] and her phone number is (212) 912-0678 — “and please leave your own phone number,” Ohman says.

B.P.C.A. COMMENTS: The Battery Park City Authority has set up an email address for B.P.C. residents with questions or suggestions about parks, streets and prop-erty. Write to [email protected].

To comment on Battery Park City Beat or to suggest article ideas, email [email protected]

Downtown Express photos by Terese Loeb Kruezer

A Christmas tree vendor named Jason from North Carolina delivering a tree to a buyer on South End Avenue. Battery Park City has two Christmas tree vendors on South End Avenue and one on Battery Place.

On Dec. 4, Samantha Henriques, who is almost seven months old, had her picture taken with Santa at Vince Smith’s Hair Experience in Battery Park City. The photo op with a fee of $25 was a fundraiser for Stockings With Care, a charity founded by Battery Park City resident Rosalie Joseph to provide holiday gifts for homeless chil-dren and other children in need.


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Demanding the right to occupy hospitalsOn Sunday, Dec. 4 nurses, doctors and medical students rallied in Zuccotti Park to demand health care for all.


C.B.1 wants facts on clinic’s plans

The C.B. 1 meeting is meant to pro-vide its members and area stakeholders the opportunity for questions and input about the Gramercy clinic’s move from 253 Third Avenue to Downtown. Board members had been disturbed last month to learn of the move planned without prior notice to the community.

Ro Sheffe, chair of the C.B. 1 Financial District committee said he expected a “fact-fi nding meeting,” adding about the planned relocation of the clinic, “I don’t think cat-egorically it’s a bad thing.” Sheffe did express concern that planners may think of the area as non-residential. “I would venture to say that the corridor along Maiden Lane is one of the most residential areas Downtown.”

The NYS Offi ce of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) is the agency that processes applications and approves the location of treatment centers. Members of the community have questioned the failure of OASAS to liaise with area stakeholders earlier. Janette Rondo, OASAS Director of Communications, has not respond-ed to multiple requests for information.

Catherine McVay-Hughes, C.B. 1 co-chair said, “ A lot of people are wondering how this process got to this point without any commu-nity notifi cation or input. We want to under-stand how this state-run OASAS approval process works.

Larry Kroll, Ph.D. is said to have pur-chased the originally-named Gramercy Park Medical Group P.C. in January 2010 for $70K - $80K, according to sources. Kroll currently operates several other substance treatment clinics in Illinois. The new (and expected to be renamed) Gramercy Park Services would double its current operating space to 6000-7000 square feet at 90 Maiden Lane.

Tom Doherty, a consultant with the fi rm Mercury Public Affairs, LLC, and an advisor to Kroll, said, “We weren’t trying to be evasive with anyone,” explaining that the issue of mov-ing the Gramercy clinic Downtown had not seemed a major one, since Metro Corp already served substance abuse patients in the space. Doherty added, “We would love and welcome an advisory board made up of local residents and community board members.”

Noah Pfefferblit, C.B. 1 District Manager responded, “If they want to make an offer as part of a discussion, it will be up to the mem-bers and the full board.”

The C.B. 1 Quality of Life Committee chair Pat Moore said, “If that is indeed true it indicates a willingness to work with the com-munity,” but added that Doherty’s comment “implies that it’s a done deal.”

Moore said, “If they really did want to have community input they would have come to us before they chose the space.” She asked, “Why keep it a secret - why not have an open and frank discussion about a facility that we might not be impacted by at all?”

Doherty would not discuss the $137,000 lawsuit Mercury has against Gramercy Park Services LLC, Gramercy Park Medical Group P.C., and Raymond Sanchez, a one-time clinic administrator. Mercury Public Affairs, LLC, the public strategy fi rm co-chaired by former Missouri senator James Talent and former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer provides political consulting, media relations, and lobbying among other services. The clinic engaged Mercury’s services beginning May 2007 for $5000, and later $7500 per month.

The Mercury website states, “Our expertise and reach help prominent fi gures, leading advocacy groups and the world’s most success-ful companies gain advantage in must-win situ-ations.” Prior to joining Mercury Doherty was Governor George Pataki’s deputy secretary for appointments - a senior advisor position which oversaw the nominations and appointments of New Yorkers to all state boards.

Doherty said that Kroll fl ew agents from AM Property, the managing agency for 90 Maiden, out to Illinois to inspect Kroll’s other clinics and see fi rst-hand how well they are run. Paul Wasserman, of AM Property, did not respond to repeated messages inquiring about the trip and the lease agreement.

Kroll declined to comment before the meet-ing about the current situation.

Sheffe said, “I think drug rehab is a very necessary thing and that people earnestly seeking help deserve it. It’s just a question of whether the location is appropriate.”

Moore said, “I’ll be interested to see if we have any negotiating power with the clinic.”


90 Maiden Lane.

Your design team has made my job so much easier. Everything about the experience has been

easy, helpful and straightforward.

We are new to the neighbor-hood, so it's hard to know where

to advertise. Being a grassroots kind of gal I took to the streets

walking into every building in Battery Park City to introduce myself. There in the lobbies I

saw several publications,Downtown Express

being one of them.Of course its hard to know what

people are actually reading...so I asked.

AGAIN AND AGAIN

DOORMEN TOLD ME THAT

THE PAPER THEY SEE THEIR

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DOWNTOWN EXPRESS.

I am delighted to be a part of the neighborhood and also to have a

wonderful resource to keep a finger to the pulse of what is

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A L I C I A S A L Z E R M D , C O - F O U N D E RM E D H AT TA N I M M E D I AT E M E D I C A L C A R E

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‘I think drug rehab is a very necessary thing and that people earnestly seeking help deserve it. It’s just a question of whether the location is appropriate.’

— Ro Sheffe


Myriad options for dining on Stone Street

New York City. The baking for all of them is done in a central kitchen in Brooklyn that operates seven days a week under the direc-tion of French chef Eric Bedoucha.

There are no television sets in Financier. Neither are there any in Vintry, Adrienne’s or The Growler, for that matter. Harry’s has a few TV sets in the bar but none in the restaurant area. Ulysses, which is large, also has some TV’s on the bar side but not on the dining side, where live bands play on Saturday nights. The presence or absence of televisions is a tip-off as to noise levels and what kind of clientele is likely to come in and when. Summer and winter, happy hour tends to be busy on Stone Street when the fi nancial services businesses close for the day.

Some of the Stone Street restaurants are awash in TVs, particularly Beckett’s, a sports bar that plays all games available on any given day and allows patrons to reserve a spot near the game they most want to watch. The Stone Street Tavern and The Dubliner also have their share of TVs. All have lively bars and menu items such as fi sh-n-chips, burgers, steaks and shepherd’s pie that go down well with a drink or two. These res-taurants along with Waterstone Grill, which is quieter and more intimate, belong in part to restaurateur Ronan Downs. He is also a partner in Burger Burger and Pizza Pizza on the western end of Stone Street’s restaurant row.

There are two restaurants on the street that are singletons. Mad Dog & Beans announces its Mexican Revolution theme

with exterior door handles shaped like shot-guns. The walls are decorated with photos of some tough-looking hombres and the food, too, can pack a wallop. Guacamole is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, served in a molcajete (a mortar) made of volcanic rock and made with Serrano peppers, avo-cado, cilantro, tomatoes, onion, garlic and lime juice. The tortilla chips with which it’s served are made in-house. Mexican nachos are also very popular. They come with three kinds of cheese melted together and are served with guacamole, crema fresca and pico de gallo. Fried ice cream (vanilla ice cream in a cinnamon-fl avored pastry shell with berries on the side) is a new item on the menu and already has a following.

Across Stone Street from Mad Dog is Smörgås Chef Wall Street, serving Scandinavian food. It is particularly noted for its Swedish meatballs with lingonber-ries, which can be purchased in appetizer or entrée size, or in a sandwich. Smörgås Chef recently bought a 150-acre farm in the Catskills to provide a source for fresh produce and other ingredients used at the restaurant.

All of the Stone Street restaurants are open daily with the exception of some holi-days and serve lunch, dinner and Saturday and Sunday brunch. Smörgås Chef will be open on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, according to Michael Cantor, the manager. Stone Street Tavern is planning a special ticketed party for New Year’s Eve with an open bar, a champagne toast at midnight and hors d’oeuvres for $100 a person. For details on holiday hours and menus, check the websites of each restaurant.

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if they’re not in use,” said Jesse Schaffer, who fi rst volunteered at the museum in 1995 and who went on to become a professional mariner. “They’ll always be worn away by the elements and you need to keep on top of that.” Schaffer said he had stopped volun-teering for a while, but added, “there’s now a new administration that I’m happy about, and I’m happy to be back.”

When he works on the museum’s vessels, he said, he feels that he is preserving part

of maritime history. “A 19th-century British sailor could see us at work and know exactly what we’re doing. He would have been doing the same things in the same way.”

Boulware said that the volunteers “are a critical part of keeping up the waterfront. We need unskilled help, we need carpentry, we need metalwork. There’s hardly a skill you can think of that wouldn’t advance the purposes of the waterfront.”

To volunteer, contact the museum’s vol-unteer coordinator, Beth Childs, at [email protected]. The next volun-teer day will be Saturday, Dec. 10.

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Newly Renovated Backyard

2 blocks south of the World Financial Center


Seaport volunteers return to work

Keep on top of local crime,every week in THE POLICE BLOTTER


Occupy London still going

for people and for the planet — not the military, corporate, profi ts or rich,” read one of them.

Another sign trumpets O.W.S.’s famous slogan, “This is what democracy looks like.”

As was the case at Zuccotti Park, O.L.S.X. has medic and food stations, a library and a kitchen. It is also equipped with generators donated by individuals and porta-potties, and is planning to switch to energy-efficient lighting soon, according to British protester and student Artin Giles.

There is even a tent designated as a haven for women and children.

The public meetings are held in “Tent University,” a spacious, white tent con-nected to the library, where people con-gregate to discuss energy conservation methods, the fi nancial crisis and other pertinent topics. Tent University is also open throughout the night to those seek-ing shelter.

I observed as protesters huddled in and around the tents, strumming guitars, proud-ly holding up signs, setting up mini-picnics and spouting chants using bullhorns.

Some 150 O.L.S.X. protesters have also occupied Finsbury Square, a small

park in Central London encampment, since the St. Paul’s is now filled to the brim; as well as an abandoned U.B.S. building.

Perhaps this is the type of full-fledged occupation O.W.S. had once envisioned. But instead, the New York-based pro-testers were ousted from their base at Zuccotti Park and are struggling to find a new place to call home.

On Thursday, Dec. 1, a day after the nationwide strike, a few dozen demon-strators convened in “Tent University” for the 7 p.m. General Assembly. One of

them presented the “10 commitments” of the O.L.S.X. mission.

Commitment number one says, “The camp aims to provide for the basic human needs and to nurture the best qualities of humanity,” while the other commitments stress the responsibility of the campers to create a caring environment and a “just, fair and equal society.”

The protesters, however, aren’t getting away with their bustling occupation scot-free. The City Corporation of London, which owns a large part of the land, is pressing legal charges against the tented village, claiming it is blocking pedes-trian flow around the cathedral and could damage tourism and local business. The C.C.L. has reportedly spent more than 450,000 pounds on camp surveillance and cleaning services alone, and has spent 200,000 pounds so far on legal fees.

An attorney backing the C.C.L. insisted that, in wishing to end the occupation, the city does not intend to protect the banks nor stymie peaceful protests.

“The city’s position is: peaceful pro-test? Yes. Permanent encampment? No,” said the attorney — an idea that might sound all-too familiar to O.W.S.

The C.C.L. has tried to boot the pro-testers and end the encampment. The Corporation submitted a nearly 100-page document replete with testimonies from

cathedral staff, police, an environmental health officer and a social worker, accord-ing to a Nov. 23 news article published in the Guardian. A court hearing is sched-uled for Dec. 19, according to C.C.L. Spokesperson Nicholas McClelland.

The Corporation even offered to let the occupiers stay on its turf so long as the occupiers left by the new year.

So far, the city’s and church’s evacuation efforts have proven to be unsuccessful.

“Obviously,” McClelland added, “no enforcement will take place until after a court order is made” — a strikingly differ-ent mentality than that of Brookfi eld Offi ce Properties, who authorized the Nov. 15 raid of Zuccotti Park. In the case of O.W.S., the judge ruled in favor of Brookfi eld after, not before, the raid occurred.

Were enforcement to take place, police “would stand by to prevent a breach of the peace, etc.,” according to C.C.L. press officer Greg Williams. Whether the British cops would lead the raid, as the N.Y.P.D. did in Lower Manhattan, how-ever, is uncertain.

So, it seems as though an overnight raid comparable to what happened at Zuccotti Park isn’t in the cards for O.L.S.X; and that for now they will continue, uninter-rupted, to sleep, eat and exchange ideas just steps away from the London Stock Exchange.

Let’s do something togetherTrinity Wall Street

an Episcopal parish in the city of New York

Leah

Red

dy

trinitywallstreet.org

All Are WelcomeAll events are free, unless noted.

212.602.0800

MessiahGeorge Frideric Handel

Three Chances to See a Seasonal Favorite

Trinity Choir & Trinity Baroque OrchestraJulian Wachner, conductor

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 3pm MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 7:30pmTickets $70, $60, & $50 at: trinitywallstreet.org/ticketsTrinity Church

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 7:30pmTickets $90, $70, & $50 at: lincolncenter.orgAlice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1pmConcerts at One¡Guitarra! Music of Spain, Rupert Boyd, guitar Trinity Church

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 7pmThe Womb of AdventAn evening of theatrical readings, dance, visual effects, and vocal and instrumental music based on Mark Bozzuti-Jones’ book, The Womb of Advent. Trinity Church

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 10amIn Advent: Exploring Darknessand LightAdvent III: How did expectations of the coming Messiah shape what we believe about Jesus? Led by the Rev. Dr. Clair McPherson, General Seminary.74 Trinity Pl, 2nd Fl, Parish Hall

See the Trinity Choir perform Messiah at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center.Tickets at lincolncenter.org

worshipSUNDAY, 8am and 10amSt. Paul’s ChapelCommunion in the round8pm Compline, music, and prayers

SUNDAY, 9am and 11:15am

Trinity ChurchPreaching, music, and EucharistSunday school and child care available

MONDAY – FRIDAY, 12:05pm

Trinity Church Holy Eucharist

MONDAY – FRIDAY, 5:15pmAll Saints’ Chapel, in Trinity ChurchEvening Prayer, Evensong (Thurs.) Watch online webcast

TRINITY CHURCHBroadway at Wall Street

74 Trinity Place is located in the office building behind Trinity Church.

ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL Broadway and Fulton Street

CHARLOTTE’S PLACE109 Greenwich St, btwn Rector & Carlisle

The Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, Rector The Rev. Canon Anne Mallonee, Vicar


‘The C.C.L. has reportedly spent more than 450,000 pounds on camp surveil-lance and cleaning ser-vices alone, and has spent 200,000 pounds so far on legal fees.’


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CHABAD HEBREW SCHOOL CHANUKAH TOY DRIVE Join Chabad Hebrew School families for a Chanukah Toy Drive. Bring toys and help wrap the gifts — which will be delivered to hospi-talized children. Pizza will be served! Sun., Dec. 11, 2-3:30pm. At PS 89 (201 Warren St., at West St.). For more info, call Chabad of BPC at 646-770-3636 or visit ChabadBPC.com.

JIM HENSON’S FANTASTIC WORLD If you grew up on “Sesa-me Street” and have seen the new Muppet reboot currently in the-aters (“The Muppets”), then a visit to this exhibit is a must. “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” has much more to offer than just the chance to see Miss Piggy and Kermit under glass. There are also drawings, storyboards, props and a reel of witty commercials from the black and white era of television. “Fantastic World” can be seen through Jan. 16, 2012. At the Museum of the Moving Image (36-01 35th Ave., Astoria). Museum hours: Tues.-Thurs., 10:30am-5pm. Fri., 10:30am-8pm. Sat./Sun., 10:30am-7pm. Admission: $10 for adults; $7.50 for college students and seniors; $5 for children under 18 (free for members and children under three). Free admis-sion every Fri., from 4-8pm. For info and a full schedule of events, visit movingimage.us — or call 718-777-6888.

MANHATTAN CHILDREN’S THEATRE: A CHRISTMAS CAROL George C. Scott, Bill Murray, Susan Lucci and dozens of others have put their spin on the evergreen tale of a miser who finds redemption thanks to a visit from three very persuasive ghosts — but none of them sang and danced and did it all live on stage in a production fit for ages 5 and up. For that, you’ll have to

travel to the new location of Manhattan Children’s Theatre (in the gallery space at The Access Theatre). Once there, you’ll be treated to the first main stage production of their 2011-2012 season. This adaptation of the Charles Dickens holiday classic (adapted and directed by MCT Artistic Director Bruce Merrill) features original music by Eric V. Hachikian. Through Dec. 24; Sat., Sun., at 12pm and 2pm; also on Fri., Dec. 23, at 12pm and 2pm. At Manhattan Children’s Theatre (380 Broadway, 4th floor; two blocks south of Canal St., at Broadway & White). Tickets are sold online for $18 (adults) and $16 (children). At the door, $20. For reservations and info, call 212-352-3101 or visit mctny.org.

KIDS ‘N COMEDY: THE BAH, HUMBUG SHOW How are kids like adults? They’re not immune to the blues or bad moods around the holidays — and to cope, they’ll complain to anyone who will listen. Fortunately, the standup comedians featured in this show have wrapped their tales of woe in brightly colored (and maybe even off-color) setups and punchlines. It’s all stan-dard procedure for “Kids ‘N Comedy” — the monthly series at Gotham Comedy Club which presents an ever-changing roster of teens and tweens from the tri-state area. This time up: Charlie Bardey, Luke Bergamini, Mark Cohen, Ryan Drum, Leo Framp-ton, Dillon Heverin and Daniel Laitman. Sun., Dec. 11, at 1pm. At Gotham Comedy Club (208 W. 23rd St., btw. 7th & 8th Aves.). Appropriate for ages 9 and up. For tickets ($15, plus one-item minimum), call 212-877-6115 or visit kidsncomedy.com. Also visit gothamcomedyclub.com.

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Within the enchanting setting of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, model trains zip over bridges and past replicas of New York landmarks made of plant parts such as nuts, bark and leaves. Marvel at the replicas, stroll the spectacular grounds, decorate (and eat!) gingersnaps — then break for some hot chocolate. Holiday Train Show Hours: Weekdays, Tues.-Fri. from 10am-6pm; Weekends, 10am-7pm. On holiday weeks (Dec.19-Jan. 2), hours are 10am-7pm. Early closing (3pm) on Dec. 24. Closed Dec. 25. Train show tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for students/seniors. At New York Botanical Garden (2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx) For tickets and info, call 718-817-8700 or visit nybg.org.

THE HOLIDAY TRAIN SHOW


End of an industry, and an era‘Post Offi ce’ contemplates changing of the guard, in more ways than one

BY JERRY TALLMEROne of G. K. Chesterton’s magical Father Brown detective

stories that I devoured in my youth was titled “The Invisible Man” and had to do with an invisible (because so familiar) London postman who, however, left tracks in the snow.

To most of us — most Americans — the postman, or mailman, is a fi gure indeed so familiar as to be all but invis-ible (except on Social Security payment days, usually the third of any month).

Then, says David Jenkins, speaking from personal experi-ence, “then they want to see you, come running to see you and get their checks.”

There are no Social Security paydays in “Post Offi ce” — the lively clear-eyed play by 33-year-old David Jenkins. But there are two small town Illinois postmen: an old-timer named Denny and a 19-year-old named James whom the veteran takes under his wing, teaches the ropes to, causti-cally but caringly:

DENNY: You’re not wearing headphones out there, are you? Talking on your cell phone?

JAMES: No, man,DENNY: No? Isn’t that what you children do all day?

Talk on your— JAMES: I’m not a child, man.

When James complains that sorting the mail is complex but hardly rocket science, the older man snaps: “Nothing is rocket science but rocket science. We could use a little less rocket science, you ask me.”

Bravo.One day young James (David Gelles) has to deliver

a package to a lady named Victoria something (Anney Giobbe), a nice lonely spirited woman twice his age — well, maybe nearer three times his age — who takes him under her wing, unpostally speaking. Teaches him the meaning of “tactile” and to listen to the cicadas. In bed.

Needless to say, Denny the dedicated (Eric Hoffmann) disapproves. What Denny approves of is the U.S. Postal Service.

“The mail never stops,” he proclaims with passion to a customer who has complained about the 44-cent-and-rising price of a postage stamp.

It never stops. Never. We go to sleep, we wake up, we get older, we get sick, we get better or we die. Wars are waged, won, or lost, but the mail keeps going. Every

minute of every day, straight through the night, it’s in some process of motion,

In the heat of his peroration, Denny falls off a porch and fractures three ribs. His route is turned over — temporarily, of course — to his guilt-stricken young protégé. It shouldn’t require a rocket scientist to fi gure out where this story is heading — an analogue to the actual looming fate of the whole U.S. Postal Service in this worldwide age of texting and iPhones.

“Post Offi ce” is set in the fi ctional town of Little Neck, Illinois. David Jenkins, born in Minnesota of good Irish stock, had all sorts of jobs in his youth — and one of them was as a postman (for four months) in the actual town of Lake Bluff, Illinois, “30 minutes north of The City” (mean-ing Chicago). “This was in the year 2000 — before the world blew up” (meaning 9/11).

“Everything happens so fast now,” says the refreshingly unspoiled and enthusiastic David Jenkins. He sometimes switches from computer to typewriter to slow things down (“You can play the typewriter like an instrument.”).

He may stick that Social Security bit back into this play. “I’m not done writing it yet.” The same is true of a some-what intrusive passage anent John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.”

“I don’t know, it scares me,” Jenkins murmursThe U.S. Postal Service, he declares with dry, inverse irony, “deserves to go away — we don’t need it. It’s an admirable institution whose time has come. I think of it as Willy Loman” — the worn-out all-American success/failure protagonist at the

center of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.”And Willy Loman of course applies almost one-to-one to

Denny the postman. “They’re just going to throw you away like an old television or something,” says his guilty young sidekick.

“What’s terrifying to me,” says Arthur Miller heir David Jenkins, “is we’re not just talking about the end of Denny, we’re talking about the end of his industry.”

Before there was an Arthur Miller there was a Clifford Odets, whom young David Jenkins, some 80 years later, worships as a big time “social playwright” in a line then “renovated” for each generation — “what it means to be an American” — by Miller, Sam Shepard, Tony Kushner, et al,

Jenkins came out of Boston University with a BA in phi-losophy and political science —”two things you can’t get a job doing.” In the NYU Acting Program in this city, he met and married a girl named Josie Whittlesey “who is actually the director of this play” as she had been for his earlier “Middlemen.”

We’re lucky to have him sill among us. “Broke my neck in an auto accident in South Bend, Indiana,” Jenkins says, craning his head from side to side. “No, I wasn’t driving. Happened right near Notre Dame. They get that kind of football injury a lot. Probably the best place in the United States to have that accident happen.”

Mr. and Mrs. David Jenkins now live in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Any kids yet?“Bite your tongue,” said Mr. Jenkins.

DOWNTOWN EXPRESSARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

POST OFFICEWritten by David Jenkins

Directed by Josie Whittlesey

Through December 17

Thurs. through Tues., 8pm (no Wed. performances)

At the New Ohio Theatre

154 Christopher St., btw. Greenwich & Washington Sts.)

For tickets (18), call 212-868-4444 or visit smarttix.com

Visit sohothinktank.org and humananimals.org

THEATER

Photo by Jim Baldassare

Special (snail mail) delivery: The mail never stops.


Just Do Art: The Deluxe Holiday EditionCOMPILED BY SCOTT STIFFLER

AVI WISNIA IN CONCERT, CELEBRATING THE RELEASE OF “MAOZ TSUR”

As he proved on his debut album (“Something New”), singer/songwriter/rabbi’s son Avi Wisnia knows his way around Brazilian bossa nova, acoustic American folk, 1950’s west-coast jazz and contemporary pop. His latest release (available now online) is the holiday single “Maoz Tsur.” This jazz instrumental is based on a liturgical poem that’s become a popular Hanukkah song often heard after the lighting of the menorah. Translated as “Rock of Ages,” its words celebrate the human spirit’s ability to claim victory over oppressors and overcome persecution. You don’t have to be one of the chosen people to appreciate that — but it doesn’t hurt! With that in mind, Wisnia cordially invites all colors and creeds to come and experience the joy of the holidays at a free event, which will feature the live performance debut of “Maoz Tsur.”

Fri., Dec. 9, from 8-9:30pm (doors open at 7:30pm). Free and open to all ages — but seating is limited, so arrive early. At Live at Caffe Vivaldi (32 Jones St.; off Bleecker St., by 7th Ave.). For info, caffevivaldi.com or 212-691-7538. For more info: aviwisnia.com; twitter.com/aviwisnia; youtube.com/teamwisnia; facebook.com/aviwisniamusic; myspace.com/aviwisniapresents.

ARChive OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC HOLIDAY RECORD + CD SALE

Christmas comes but once a year — and to help build that pile of presents under the tree, there’s another annual December event we’ve come to depend upon. Secure a slot on Santa’s “nice” list when you help support ARChive — a

nonprofi t music library whose stockpile of over 2 million sound recordings makes it America’s largest popular music collection. ARC keeps two copies of all recordings released in America. When a third copy comes in, it becomes part of this annual sale. Over 20,000 items are up for grabs — including books, CDs, LPs, singles, VHS, DVDs, sheet music and a fl ea market full of vintage kitchenwares, psy-chedelic rock posters and clothing. All the CDs (mostly pop and rock recordings, priced from $1-$10) are mint condition donations form record companies and collectors.

Sat., Dec. 10 through Sun., Dec. 18. Open daily, 11am-6pm. At the ARChive of Contemporary Music’s (54 White St., 3 blocks south of Canal, btw. Broadway & Church Sts.). Call 212-226-6967 or visit archmusic.org. Blog: arcmusic.wordpress.com. On Facebook: facebook.com/ArchiveOfContemporaryMusic.

VILLAGE LIGHT OPERA: SCROOGE & GILBERT & SULLIVAN

The Village Light Opera Group’s presentation of Nathan Hull’s “Scrooge & Gilbert & Sullivan” has high concept charis-ma to burn. This modern mashup of two timeless classics takes its inspiration from the mutual admiration society formed by Dickens. The “Christmas Carol” author was a fan of Sullivan’s music; and Gilbert adapted Dickens’ “Great Expectations.” Now the creations of this trio are merged into one night of entertainment — in a shows that injects 11 Gilbert & Sullivan operettas into that familiar tale of Scrooge’s redemption.

At The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University (3 Spruce St.). Fri., Dec. 9 at 8pm; Sat., Dec. 10 at 2pm & 8pm; Sun., Dec. 11 at 2pm. The Dec. 10 2pm performance is a Children’s Matinee (special activities before and after, and kids pay half price). The Dec. 10 8pm perfor-mance will include sign language interpretation. For tickets ($25 and $45), call 866-811-4111 or visit vlog.org. Group discounts available for orders of 10 or more.

TRINITY WALL STREET’S CHRISTMAS EVENTSHoliday caroling, a youth chorus performance, a Dickens

adaptation and one of the city’s most popular Christmas

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A liturgical poem with a beat: Avi Wisnia’s new single has its live debut on Dec. 9.

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Nothing to do with Christmas, Santa, Chanukah or HanukkahUnseasonal activities to put on your plateCOMPILED BY SCOTT STIFFLER

SHE KILLS MONSTERSSecret Santa’s got nothing on the juicy

tidbits unearthed by average, unassuming Agnes. When she accesses the Dungeons & Dragons notebook of her recently deceased (and “totally weird”) sister Tilly, Agnes is plunged into a world of hostile fairies, randy ogres, action/adventure violence and pop culture references. “She Kills Monsters” seems like a rock solid antidote to the relent-less onslaught of satire-free saccharine that must be endured from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. Playwright Qui Nguyen and direc-tor Robert Ross Parker (the team behind Vampire Cowboys) bring their distinguished track record of comic book theater triumphs to the proceedings — with capable assis-tance from The Flea Theater’s resident acting ensemble (The Bats). Geek Freak Bonus: Casey Jex Smith’s Dungeons & Dragons-inspired art exhibit “Doomslayers” will be on display in the lobby before the show.

Through Dec. 23; Tues.-Sat. at 7pm, Sat. & Sun. at 3pm. At The Flea Theater (41 White St., btw. Church & Broadway). For tickets ($25), call 212-352-3101 or visit the-fl ea.org. Tues. shows are pay-what-you-can (one ticket per person; subject to availability

at door only; Sat. matinees are $10). Visit vampirecowboys.com.

BOOK LAUNCH: “MURDER NEW YORK STYLE: FRESH SLICES”

Don’t be fooled by the squeaky clean pedestrian malls and the national chain stores — our city has managed to retain a good amount of its notorious Gotham grit. Murder and intrigue abound. You just have to know where to look for it. A good place to start: in the pages of “Murder New York Style: Fresh Slices.” This anthology of 22 mysteries showcases work from the Sisters in Crime New York/Tri-State chapter (which promotes the professional develop-ment and advancement of women crime writers). Taken as a whole, they represent “that special combination of adaptability and assertiveness dished out more often than any pizza or street meat.” That’s a nice way of saying you’d better watch your back when you veer off the beaten path. Stories set in Downtown locations include “Taking the High Line” (an S&M encounter goes too far), “The Doorman Building” (a mother’s eye-opening visit to her son’s apartment near NYU) and “Remember You Will Die” (a dying mogul’s goodbye party at the Rubin Museum of Art). Meet many of the authors at the book launch party — which will fea-

ture readings and signings.

Thurs., Dec. 15, at 7pm. At Partners & Crime Mystery Booksellers (44 Greenwich

Ave., near Charles St.). For more informa-tion about the anthology and its authors, visit murdernystyle.com. For info on the venue, crimepays.com.

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Just Do Art: The Deluxe Holiday Edition

Eve services: Trinity Wall Street has a little of everything — for everyone. On Thurs., Dec. 15 (at 5pm), The Trinity Youth Chorus performs their annual concert of Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols. After the concert, join the Youth Chorus as they lead the audience in holiday caroling (Melissa Attebury conducts). At St. Paul’s Chapel (Broadway at Fulton St.).

On Sun., Dec. 18 (at 1pm), “Scrooge & Marley: A Reading” invites you to become part of the story, as Theater at Trinity presents its annual reading of Israel Horovitz’s adapta-tion of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” (audience participation encouraged). At St. Paul’s Chapel (Broadway at Fulton St.).

On Sat., Dec. 24 (at 4pm), the annual Christmas Eve Service for Children, Youth and Families features a sermon presented in a sto-rytelling format. Children are “highly encour-aged to participate,” and the Eucharist is cel-ebrated. The Trinity Youth Chorus performs. At Trinity Church (Broadway at Wall St.).

For info on these free events, call 212-602-0800 or visit trinitywallstreet.org.HOLIDAYS AT THE WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER WINTER GARDEN

Over 100,000 white lights deck the World Financial Center Winter Garden — but it’s their diverse programming that makes the season both merry and bright. On Fri., Dec. 9 and Sat., Dec 10 (10am-1pm and 2-7pm), kids (and, yes, adults) can schmooze with Santa, his reindeer and some lively elves. The price of a photo op with this jolly gang starts at $20, with proceeds going to help The Brooke Jackman Foundation promote literacy and learning (see brookejackmanfoundation.org). On Thurs., Dec. 15 (at 7:30pm), the Brooklyn Youth Chorus reunites with soprano Harolyn Blackwell for a holiday concert (featuring a new work based on a Langston Huges poem). On Sun., Dec. 18 (at 12pm), The National Yiddish Theatre-Folksbiene celebrates the Festival of Lights with Yiddish music and the-ater. The special guests on the bill (which bills

itself as “My Yiddish Chanukah: A Musical Feast for New York) include Zalmen Mlotek, Annette Ezekiel and Alicia Jo Rabins (of the Klezmer group Golem), Daniella Rabbani and Dmitri “Zisl-Yeysef” Slepovitch.

All events take place at the World Financial Center Winter Garden (200 Vessey St.; 3 World Financial Center). For more info on these and other events, visit artsworldfi -nancialcenter.com.

REMEMBERING FULTON MARKETAnother iconic slice of old school

Manhattan life that’s gone forever, the Fulton Fish Market’s South Street incarnation (1822-2005) endures — on walls — thanks to the work of Naima Rauam. The artist spent over two decades immersing herself in its darkness to dawn routine, when the market was full of life (and recently expired fi sh). On the sixth anniversary of its move, Rauam’s exhibit of watercolors and drawings (which glowed with a melancholy poignancy even when the market was still based on South Street) gain power and gravity as time goes by.

Free. Through Dec.18. At @SEAPORT! Gallery (210 Front St., corner of Beekman, at South Street Seaport). Gallery hours: Wed.-Sun., 12-7pm. For info, visit artpm.com.

PERIDANCE CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY: THE NUTCRACKER

Peridance Contemporary Dance Company brings its signature style (versatile dancers of diverse backgrounds, innovative movement and design) to this unconventional produc-tion of “The Nutcracker.” Expect all the stan-dard issue stuff (snowfl akes, sugarplums and that Tchaikovsky score), plus an injection of contemporary choreography performed by a cast of over 60 dancers — including young students from The School at Peridance, pre-professionals from the Certifi cate Program and the International Student Programs and profes-sional dancers from the Peridance ensemble.

Sat., Dec. 17, at 6:30pm & 8:30pm (fol-lowed by a reception); and Sun., Dec. 18, at 2:30pm & 5:30pm. At Peridance Capezio Center (126 E. 13th St., btw. Third & Fourth Aves.). For info, call 212-505-0886 or visit peridance.com.


Photo by Leah Reddy

A full plate of diverse Christmas programming: See “Trinity Wall Street.”

Image courtesy of the artist

Naima Rauam’s “Night at Fulton Market” (2005). See “Remembering Fulton Fish Market.”

A Chanukah celebration you can dance to: See “Holidays at the World Financial Center.”

Photo by Melissa Birnbaum/Meems Images

From the 2010 Peridance “Nutcracker.”


Out with trees, in with cacti

of the project.The second phase involved actually wrap-

ping the lampposts with the zip ties, which happened on the weekend after Thanksgiving and was done with the help of 17 volun-teers.

“For each pole, it took two or three peo-ple between four [and] fi ve hours to wrap,” said Dane.

The last cactus was completed around 8:30 p.m. on that Sunday.

“In the end, it was a magical feeling just in terms of the dedication that was involved,” said Dane.

Currently the cacti are set to remain in tact only throughout January, but Dane is optimistic.

“My experience with public art, is that no one is in a big hurry to take down something that is making the neighborhood more beauti-ful,” said Dane, who added that he hopes there’s a “double delight” involved for the passer-by

who sees the pieces of art for the fi rst time.As for the colors of the cacti, which

range from bright orange to bright blue and green, Baer said the B.I.D. did consult with Animus.

“I suppose we could’ve selected tradition-al holiday colors,” said Baer. “We wanted to focus on colors that would bring joy. We’re alwys thinking of ways to let people enjoy their space.”

“I hope people are pleasantly startled,” said Dane. “From afar, one experience is having people ask, ‘What is that?’ and then upon approach the viewer sees another layer.”

Dane did mention however that some people instinctively object to the cacti, but only because they aren’t completely edu-cated.

“A lot of people look at it and say, ‘What a waste of zip ties,’” he remarked. “They look at it and think we’ve bound each tie to the pole. But the way we do it actually allows us to recycle each tie. They don’t all end up in the dump.”


A close-up of Animus’ “Flaming Cacti” currently lining the streets of Hudson Square.

By Rowann Gilman

In the city’s ever-expanding galaxy of restaurants, Blue Planet Grill is a friendly haven for diners seek-ing the kind of goodness food used

to have before it became a star-studded industry. Its health food ethic takes shape in traditional American foods with a slight European twist, and it’s evident in an elegant selection of dishes prepared with all-organic, local ingredients. Hor-mone- and antibiotic-free meat comes from locally raised cows, chickens are from Amish country, and ingredients have no preser-vatives. Breads are home-made too.

You get a genuinely friendly welcome at the door, and immediate but not overbearing attention from the wait staff. Walls are a wash of glowy peach and yellow, and low-wattage lights, pendant from the blue ceiling, soften autumn’s early-darkening sky. Linens are crisp and white and, in a classy tradition, fresh flatware is laid out with each course. No having to save your forks here.

Blue Planet also happens to house a lively bar scene with an assortment of house cocktails. Ours, recommended by resident mixologist Artemio Vasquez, was the Red Finance, a mix of tequila, St. Germain and fresh lime juice—but it’s what’s around the rim that gets to you. It’s dipped in lemon juice, then in hot paprika and salt for a kicky bite with every sip. All of Artemio’s creations are made with freshly squeezed juices and homemade syr-ups. If you want a real pre-dinner jolt, try his Poquito Picante, a mix of gin, jala-peño, cucumber and cilan-tro. For non-drinkers, there is a two-page menu of teas and herbal infusions served in beautiful glass pots.

My guest and I chose dinner, even though the brunch menu is huge and tempting, featuring a range of dishes from Belgian Waffles to Crêpes with Caviar, and Lobster Macaroni and Cheese. Dinner started with Yellow-fin Tuna Tartare, sushi-quality tuna

chopped fine with a hit of red onion served with a hard-boiled quail egg and skinny toasts for spreading, and Lobster Sliders, intense rounds of chunky lobster meat inside a crunchy crust slipped into a homemade brioche bun. Each mouth-ful was big and satisfying. Following ap-petizers, a salad Lyonnaise—the classic frisée salad with lardons of bacon, crou-

tons, and a poached egg crown—was slightly heavy on dressing but authentic, and a personal favorite. By far, though, the evening’s prize went to Braised Short Ribs in a reduced Cabernet sauce. These generously-sized, melt-in-your-mouth slices are what anyone who’s ever made short ribs aspires to achieve, with a sauce so rich and thick that deciding whether to lick the plate became my di-lemma. I could have gone back the next day for more, but the dinner menu offers other ravishing choices to try, like aged prime rib, dry-aged burgers, good old-

fashioned Beef Stroganoff, seared black sea bass, whole grilled branzino, and plen-ty of other diverse dishes. There is an assortment of salads and soups too.

Desserts at Blue Planet are nothing to shout about, but we accompanied our Straw-berry Shortcake, somewhat lacking in strawberry flavor, with a dessert cocktail from the talented bar: The Wall Street, an addictively frothy espresso-Crème de Menthe doozy with three fresh cof-

fee beans floating on top for crunching.The Planet was pretty quiet on a Mon-

day night, but judging from the lively bar, it’s likely to be noisier during the week. Still, enjoying brunch or dinner at Blue Planet Grill will leave you feeling in the pink.

Capital Dining at Albany StreetBLUE PLANET GRILL: Healthful Food for Healthy Appetites

B A S I C S :Blue Planet Grill is located at

120 Greenwich Street (at Albany Street)

Open for brunch and dinner; hours: 10:00 AM

to 12:00 AMPhone: 212-571-1700Online reservations:

www.blueplanetgrill.com Wheelchair access: two small steps up to door

Cocktails: $12Appetizers: $12 to $18

Entrees: from $18 to $37Major credit cards accepted

RESTAURANT REVIEW


Holiday Tree Light ShowA sparkling evening around the Seaport Tree with light shows every hour from 5pm to 9pm

Chorus Performances December 9, 10, 11 NYC Gay Men’s ChorusDecember 16, 17, 18 Cantori New YorkDecember 23, 24 Big Apple Chorus

Seaport Holiday MarketShop the new market along Fulton Street, Bowne & Co. Stationers, and Tinsel Trading for holiday gifts!

www.southstreetseaport.com