downtown
WHEN WE WERE KINGS, P. 23
®
VOLUME 23, NUMBER 43
Time to mow, time to sow
With the weather warming up, some people are already breaking out the lawn mowers.
Chin, Squadron and Silver vow
to save senior center services
BY JOHN BAYLES
If the predicted cuts to the New
York State budget for the upcoming fis-
cal year come to pass, over 100 senior
centers throughout the city could be
forced to slash services or close alto-
gether.
In Lower Manhattan, six senior
centers would be affected, including
the Bowery Residents’ Committee
Senior Nutrition Program; Citizens
Care Independence Plaza; Educational
Alliance; LaGuardia Senior Center;
Smith Houses Senior Center and
University Settlement Nutrition.
According to City Councilmember
Margaret Chin, District 1 in Lower
express
s THE NEWSPAPER OF LOWER MANHATTAN
Manhattan would see the highest num-
ber of centers affected of any district
in the city.
“I have reached out to my fellow
elected officials at the state and fed-
eral level and we will stand united in
protecting these six centers from being
closed. Governor [Andrew] Cuomo’s
budget again and again targets the
most vulnerable members of our com-
munity,” said Chin in a statement.
State Senator Daniel Squadron
said, “This is, in effect, a $25 million
cut. This was proposed a year ago as
well and we were able to fully restore
the funds — there were no closures as
a result of the state budget.”
Downtown Express photo by Milo Hess
Squadron was then chairing the sen-
ate Committee on Social Services. That
is no longer the case since Republicans
took control of the senate in last
November’s election.
State Assembly Speaker Sheldon
Silver also noted last year’s proposed
cuts, stating, “Our senior centers are a
lifeline for thousands of seniors across
this community. Last year we fought
and won restorations to keep senior
centers in our neighborhoods open and
I am committed to doing so again in
this year’s state budget.”
And Squadron alluded to the recent
Continued on page 21
MARCH 9 - 15, 2011
L.M.D.C. board will vote
on slashing staff
BY JOHN BAYLES
At its upcoming March
31 meeting, board members
of the Lower Manhattan
Development Corporation
will vote on whether or not
to slash the city-state agen-
cy’s staff by 50 percent and
initiate a plan to close up
shop within the next four
to five years. Currently 29
people are employed at the
agency.
The move comes as a
number of projects the agen-
cy has been in charge of
overseeing have either been
finished or are near comple-
tion.
Peter Davidson, executive
director of the Empire State
B.P.C.A. gives famed
restaurateurs contract
to develop Pier A
BY TERESE LOEB
KREUZER
The fate of Pier A is now
set; the Battery Park City
Authority has awarded a
contract to Harry and Peter
Poulakakos and their part-
ners, The Dermot Company,
to develop the pier between
Battery Park City and his-
toric Battery Park into a
restaurant, oyster bar with
outdoor seating, event venue
and visitor center.
The Authority’s Board of
Directors voted to approve
the Poulakakos proposal
at its meeting on Tuesday,
March 8.
Development Corporation,
the L.M.D.C.’s parent agen-
cy, said on Tuesday the deci-
sion to reduce staff is a
proposal he is “in favor of”
and that “the state is in
favor of.”
“A number of the things
the L.M.D.C. is responsible
for, are no longer required,”
said Davidson.
Three areas of achieve-
ment Davidson mentioned
were the demolition of
the former Deutsche Bank
building at 130 Liberty,
which was completed last
month. He also pointed to
the resolution of the situ-
ation with utility compa-
nies such as Con Edison
Continued on page 21
The Poulakakos family
owns Bayards, Harry’s Steak
House, Ulysses, Financier
Patisserie, Harry’s Italian,
Vintry and Adrienne’s
Pizzabar, all in Lower
Manhattan. In collabora-
tion with the Downtown
Alliance, the Poulakakos’s
are credited with pioneering
the revitalization of Stone
Street — the first paved
street in the Dutch colony
of Nieuw Amsterdam —
when they opened Financier
Patisserie in 2002 and
Ulysses in 2003.
“We knew we were in
the running for a couple of
Continued on page 13
2 March 9 - 15, 2011 downtown express

Unleash The Artist

Within This Summer
For
yo
art ung
ists
age ,
6-1 s
4.

At CMA in SoHo
On Governors Island

Learn Printmaking, Claymation, Origami, &

more at the Children’s Museum of the Arts’
day camps, all summer long in Soho and on
Governors Island.
To register for Summer Art Colony or to find out
more information about CMA’s Birthday Parties, Downtown Express photo by Milo Hess

Wee-Arts and Art After School programs, visit

www.cmany.org or 212-274-0986 Taking a timeout
This runner paused for a breather at North Cove Marina while jogging through
Battery Park City on Saturday.

<]\SSRT]`ZcQY
g]c¸`SW\dWbSRb]
QSZSP`ObS
Ab>Ob`WQY¸a2Og
]\;O`QV% ObAbSZZO

’#8O[Sa]\O\R0caV[WZZaV]]bS`a

’1][^ZW[S\bO`gD]RYOQ]QYbOWZa
T`]["%^[eWbV[S\bW]\]TbVWa
ORdS`bWaS[S\b]\S^S`^S`a]\
’1][^ZW[S\bO`g5cW\\SaaeWbVbVS
^c`QVOaS]TOAbSZZO0c`US`]`
1`]_cS;]\aWSc`

’B`g]c`VSO`bgµ7`WaVA[OZZ0WbSa¶[S\c
aS`dSR]\Zg]\Ab>Ob`WQY¸a2Og
D]RYOP`O\RaSZSQbSRObbVSRWaQ`SbW]\]TbVSSabOPZWaV[S\b

Stella

AbSZZO;O\VObbO\0Wab`]
!4`]\bAb`SSb
<SeG]`Y<G!&
  !! "%
eeeabSZZO\gQQ][
 Manhattan Bistro
downtown express
D
B.P.C.A. RE-NOMINATIONS
OWNTOWN
DIGEST
State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assembly Speaker
Sheldon Silver are pushing Gov. Andrew Cuomo to re-
nominate Anthony Notaro and Martha Gallo to seats
on the Battery Park City Authority Board of Directors.
Both had been nominated to the B.P.C.A. by Gov. David
Paterson but the nominations had not been ratified by
the State Senate before Paterson left office, and so they
were nullified.
Notaro is the president of the1st Precinct Community
Council and a member of Manhattan Community Board
1 and the Battery Park City Neighbors Association.
Gallo, who is a business executive, also worked with the
Battery Park City Neighbors Association and serves on
the boards of the Alliance for Downtown New York and
the Women’s Refugee Commission.
“The B.P.C.A. requires both financial and government
expertise as well as input from neighborhood residents
to ensure that long-term plans are financially sound and
reflect the needs and interests of the residents,” said the
officials in a letter to Leslie Leach, the appointments
secretary at the State Capitol.
IRISH FOOD TOUR
On Saturday, March 12, the Downtown Alliance will
jump start the St. Patrick’s Day festivities by hosting a
“Taste of Ireland” food tour through Lower Manhattan.
The highlight of the tour should be the newly reopened
Catch all of your favorite sporting events at M1-5
March Madness – NCAA Tournament
#OMEFOLLOWYOURFAVORITECOLLEGEBASKETBALLTEAMSASMAKETHEIRBIDFORA&INAL&OURBIRTH
UEFA Champions Leagues0LEASECOMEWATCHTHEGAMES
March 9 - 15, 2011
restaurant in Fraunces Tavern, where, at the end of the
American Revolution, George Washington famously said
farewell to his officers before departing for his home in
Virginia.
Also on the shamrock-themed, gastronomical adventure
will be the Bailey Pub and Brasserie as well as two pubs
whose names allude to literary great James Joyce — Ulysses
Folkhouse and the Dubliner.
The Downtown Alliance food tours are led by culinary
expert and licensed city tour guide, Liz Young, who sand-
wiches Downtown history between restaurant stops. At
each location, tour participants sample food and drink. The
last Downtown Alliance food tour, “Savor the Romance,”
was sold out. For information and reservations for the Irish
outing, go to www.DowntownNY.com. Tickets for the tours
are $25.
9/11 MEMORIAL TOUR BUSES
After the National September 11 Memorial opens
in September at the World Trade Center site, around
900,000 people a year are expected to visit Lower
Manhattan on tour buses. The City has created a task
force to study the problem of increased traffic conges-
tion. On Tuesday, March 8, several Downtown elected
officials sent a letter to New York City Department of
Transportation Commissioner Janet Sadik-Khan propos-
Continued on page 18
3
NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9, 12-21
EDITORIAL PAGES . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-27
CLASSIFIEDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
C.B. 1
M EE TING S
A schedule of this week’s upcoming Community
Board 1 committee meetings is below. Unless otherwise
noted, all committee meetings are held at the board
office, located at 49-51 Chambers St., room 709 at 6
p.m.
ON WED., MARCH 9: C.B. 1’s Tribeca Transportation
and Parking Regulations SubCommittee will meet at 5
p.m. C.B. 1’s Tribeca Committee will meet at 6 p.m.
ON THURS., MARCH 10: C.B. 1’s Landmarks
Committee will meet.
ON MON., MARCH 14: C.B. 1’s WTC Redevelopment
Committee will meet at 250 Broadway, 9th floor
ON TUES., MARCH 15: C.B. 1’s Seaport/ Civic
Center Committee will meet.

HIGH$ElNITION&LAT3CREENS0ROJECTORS (APPY(OURPRICESFORALLOFTHEGAMES

3Q&TON-AIN&LOOR "OOKATABLEORBRINGYOUR!LUMNI#LUB

M1-5 Lounge
52 Walker Street – Between Church and Broadway – New York, NY 10013
212-965-1701
WWWM COMsINFO M COM
4 March 9 - 15, 2011 downtown express

a.m. Sat., Feb. 26 when they spotted a man train at 1 p.m. Sat., March 5, took $20
inside the location about to walk out with and his school ID and fled on a north-

POLICE BLOTTER nine lengths of copper pipe with an esti-

mated value of $500. Police arrested Brian
Crawford, 41, who was carrying the pipe
bound train, police said.

Orthodox Union hate mail

Lucky miss
A man making deliveries at a film location
on Mulberry St. near Prince St. around 1:30
p.m. Wed. March 2, had a narrow escape
when a 20-ft. long steel beam fell from a
construction site and went through the roof
of his pickup truck. The victim, Mike Prisco,
29, was in the cab of the truck when the beam
fell into the roof behind him, according to a
New York Post item. Prisco was working for
a Robert De Niro film that begins shooting
later this month, the Post said.
Makes flowers grow
Mounted police on weekend patrol on
Ludlow St. near Rivington St. to control the
crowds of bar and club patrons are getting
bad reviews from neighbors and, inciden-
tally, from revelers, who have to negotiate
around steaming piles of horse manure. The
Times Sq. Business Improvement District
picks up in the Theater District where horse
cops are on regular patrol and the mounted
unit brings a bucket on parade duty. But
the problem is neglected on the Lower East
Side horse patrol. A New York Post item on
the problem on March 7 got a sympathetic
response from Mayor Bloomberg, and a pos-
sible remedy from Department of Sanitation
Commissioner Vito Turso who said that
motorized litter patrols could be assigned to
clean up the Lower East Side manure.
Copper pipe
Security guards at a construction site
at 33 Vestry St. called police around 3:58
and was armed with a box cutter, police
said.
Peddler wars
A police officer, who began to arrest an
unlicensed peddler in front of 42 Howard
St. at Mercer St. at 8:10 p.m. Fri. March
4, was injured when the suspect struggled
against being handcuffed. The peddler,
Ceesay Mahamadou, 45, was charged with
assaulting the officer who sustained a
bruised right hand and a wrenched lower
back.
Soho robbery
A police officer who saw a victim chas-
ing a suspect who had just robbed him,
joined the chase and tackled the suspect
on Thompson and Spring Sts. around 4:40
p.m. Thurs. March 3. Vaughn Brown, 19,
The Orthodox Union, 11 Broadway,
the organization that certifies kosher food,
received a threatening hate letter on Feb.
25, according to a New York Post item. The
letter said in part. “When I escape from
prison … I am going to blow all you [anti
Jewish epithet] away,” a spokesperson said.
The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is inves-
tigating the case.
Not funny
A comedian performing at the Dark
Horse bar, 17 Murray St., on Thursday
night Feb. 24 got into an argument after
his last show with a woman patron who
threw a beer bottle in his face and fled,
police said. The victim sustained a bro-
ken cheekbone near his right eye and cuts
that require 12 stitches, police said. His
assailant was said to be a Pace University

Seaport welcomes new tenant was charged with snatching a cell phone
from the victim who was talking on it
while walking on Houston St. The victim
student.

A new theater will be opening in the
South Street Seaport in April.
Algonquin Theater plans to build a 200-
seat theater for off-Broadway productions
that will include cabaret shows, musical
revues, comedy acts and children’s theater.
The 3,700-square-foot venue, which will
open with 75 to 100 seats, will be situated
on the second floor of the Seaport Mall at
89 South Street, overlooking the Brooklyn
Bridge and the East River. In the meantime,
Algonquin, which moved into the space on
March 1, will be renovating.
“I really want it to look elegant,” said Tony
Sportiello, artistic director of Algonquin.
The goal, he said, is to provide a venue for
the Downtown community so that residents
won’t have to travel to midtown or uptown
to see high-quality theater.
“The deal at the Seaport,” he said, “was
simply too good to pass up.”
Each Algonquin show will run for
approximately three months, and, if success-
ful, Sportiello and his team will try to move
it to Broadway.
Sportiello plans to select shows from
those written by Second Stage Theatre
and other New York-based theater compa-
nies. He also intends to create a spin-off
company that would develop new musi-
cals for the Seaport venue in the com-
ing years. Previously, Sportiello directed
the WorkShop Theatre, which developed
plays. “We wanted to get away from play
development,” he said. “We think it’s
important to support cultural causes in
every shape and form.”
Michael Piazzola, senior general manager
for the Howard Hughes Corporation, which
currently manages the Seaport, noted that
there are no incubator theaters Downtown
at the moment.
Having one, he thinks, “will be exciting
as well as instructional for the future.”
Part of the venue’s mission, Piazzola said,
will be to attract more visitors to the Seaport
district as a whole. “Hopefully, they’ll dis-
cover the museum while they’re here,” he
said, referring to Seaport New York, which
has recently struggled to stay open.
The Seaport theater will be Algonquin’s
first permanent venue.
— Aline Reynolds
tried to get his phone back but Brown
turned on him and threatened to knife him,
police said. Brown dropped his knife dur-
ing his struggle with the arresting officer,
police said.
Subway incidents
A woman, 41, told police she was com-
ing up the stairs of the subway station on
Broadway and Prince St. at 10:45 a.m.
Tues. Feb. 22 when she felt a push from
behind. She didn’t turn around to see who
pushed her but she discovered a short
time later that her wallet had been lifted
from her bag.
A 13-year-old-boy told police a gang
of kids confronted him on a northbound
C Train at 3:10 p.m. Sat., Feb. 19 when
one of them took off his belt and hit the
victim with the buckle end and cut the
victim’s face. The gang fled the train at
Spring St. and Sixth Ave. and the injured
boy was treated at New York Downtown
Hospital.
Two suspects approached a 16-year-old
victim in the Canal St. station of the A
A real S.O.B.
A Brooklyn man, 41, told police that his
wallet was stolen from him while he was a
patron of S.O.B., the Brazilian music venue
at 200 Varick St. around 1 a.m. Sat., March
5. He learned later that an unauthorized
charge of $338.17 had been made at S.O.B.
a half-hour later while he was still in the
club, police said.
A Brooklyn woman, 40 had her wal-
let stolen from her bag which she had
hung on the back of her chair at the bar
at Fanelli’s, 94 Prince St., around 8 p.m.
Thurs., March 3. She learned later that
an unauthorized charge had been made
at the Apple Store, 103 Prince St. at 8:49
p.m. that evening.
Shoplift
A man who entered the Max Studio bou-
tique, 426 W. Broadway between Spring and
Prince Sts., around 7:15 p.m. Tues., Feb.
22 made off without paying for 13 items of
clothing, police said. A woman employee
chased him north on W. Broadway and west
on Prince St. but he disappeared.

88 Fulton Street
(Corner of 33 Gold St.)
New York, NY 10038
Having an Affair ? GRAND OPENING!
212.587.8930
It Should be Prestigious Sabor de Mexico
212.587.8935 Mexican Grill
Free Delivery!
It Should be Elegant
Min. $10 It Should be……………………….
The Event of Your Life

Prestigious & Elegant Events

917.522.0049 • 800.286.7924 Free Fast Delivery
Authentic Thai Tracy@PrestigiousEvent.com 97 Trinity Place, NYC
& Vegetarian PrestigiousEvent.com T: 212-227-6192 F: 212-227-6193
downtown express March 9 - 15, 2011 5

Cancer is primary concern at NIOSH hearing

BY JOHN BAYLES
Director of the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) Dr. John Howard sat for six
hours and listened. Much of what he heard was not new.
But his eyes were fixed on every speaker as if it were the
first time he had seen them, as if it was the first time he
had heard their stories.
A young man, limping to the podium in a conference
room on the sixth floor of the Javits Federal Building last
Thursday told how he was once healthy, how he toiled at
Ground Zero for days after 9/11 and then how, five years
later, his body began to fail and how he developed cancer.
Speaker after speaker, story after story and Dr. Howard
sat and listened.
On Thursday, the public was able to voice opinions,
concerns and ideas about the recently passed James
Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, specifically
on the portion of the bill known as the W.T.C. Health
Program, the part of the bill that lays out in detail the
diseases and conditions that are recognized in the legis-
lation.
It was a reunion of sorts for many of the speak-
ers. Dr. Howard was a familiar face. In the immediate
aftermath of the attacks, Dr. Howard was appointed as
the first federal W.T.C. Health Coordinator in 2006. He
met with family members and residents and gained the
community’s trust. That is perhaps why numerous speak-
ers thanked him and also suggested he be appointed
the W.T.C. Medical Program Administrator to run the
program which, under the Zadroga legislation, will be
established within the Department of Health and Human
Services beginning July 1.
One disease, however, came up in testimony after testi-
Downtown Express photo by John Bayles
Dr. John Howard was a familiar face to many of the
speakers at last Thursday’s hearing on the Zadroga
Act.
mony delivered by first responders, attorneys, pharmacists
and residents alike: cancer.
“The addition of cancer to the list of approved dis-
eases needs to expedited, especially those cancers that
are most strongly correlated to environmental exposure
through the inhalation, ingestion and other exposure to
carcinogens,” said Catherine McVay Hughes, vice chair
of Community Board 1.
One person who testified was Dr. Margaret Dessau, a
certified pulmonologist and Tribeca resident who lost her
husband in May 2009. He had been diagnosed with stage
four lung cancer in February of that year and passed
away four months later. He was a non-smoker and there
was no history of cancer in his family. The two lived on
Greenwich Street, one block south of Pier 26, where the
toxic debris from Ground Zero was being stored after
the attack.
Dr. Dessau said she appeared last Thursday for two
reasons.
“I felt it was my obligation as a physician,” said Dr.
Dessau. “I felt like this was a shortcoming of the medical
profession and I’m personally involved in it too. I’m at
risk. And I also felt an obligation to my husband, so his
death would not be in vain.”
As a pulmonologist, Dr. Dessau said she understood the
fact that diseases such as cancer and kidney disease take a
long time to develop. And she acknowledged that there was
a missed opportunity in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11
attacks, namely because there was little outreach to residents
to make them aware of the risks. Less than ten percent of
residents enrolled in the 9/11 Health Registry.
Continued on page 18

Parks Dept. and B.P.C.A. promise PEPs reforms

BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER
Battery Park City resident Adam Pratt’s
encounter with B.P.C.’s Parks Enforcement
Patrol on January 29 when a dog walk
ended with him being carted off to Bellevue
Hospital in handcuffs has left a trail of
repercussions.
Pratt says that a Parks Enforcement Patrol
officer asked him for ID, and when he didn’t
have any, struck him. Another PEP officer
in plain clothes pursued him up South End
Avenue as he tried to return to his home on
Rector Place, and then several PEPs jumped
him and handcuffed him, bruising his ribs.
He was taken to Bellevue Hospital and
would have been held there for 72 hours had
a friend, Steve Moskowitz, not arrived and
arranged for him to be released. At Bellevue
he was issued a summons for “disorderly
behavior” and has to appear in Criminal
Court on April 12.
According to Pratt’s lawyer, David Oddo
of Okun Oddo & Babat, a midtown firm
that specializes in personal injury law, Pratt
intends to sue both the Parks Department
and the people who assaulted him.
“We’ve conducted a thorough investiga-
tion into the facts of the case,” said Oddo.
“There were numerous witnesses.”
Press reports of the incident caused
indignation and consternation in Battery
Park City and a long discussion at
Community Board 1’s Battery Park City
Park City Authority, which has a contract
with the Parks Department for the Parks
Enforcement Patrol, attended the meeting
as did Michael H. Dockett, assistant com-
missioner, Urban Park Service, and Robert
P. Reeves, inspector, who supervises its law
enforcement activities citywide.
Jeff Galloway, co-chairman of the Battery
Park City Committee, said that he and his
wife, Paula, had surveyed members of the
B.P.C. Dog Association, which they head.
He reported that they heard two kinds of
complaints. One was that the PEPs were
doing nothing other than talking on their cell
phones and sleeping on the job. The other
was what dog owners perceived as harass-
ment. People walking their dogs, “minding
their own business,” were asked to show ID.
He said he found this shocking. “This is not
Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany,” he said.
He went on to say, “As a practical mat-
ter, this is our backyard. Many of us, myself
included, when I walk my dog in the morn-
ing, I put on whatever I can throw on and I
don’t put my wallet in my back pocket.”
Paula Galloway said that members of
the Dog Association had told her that they
were afraid to walk on the Battery Park City
esplanade because of the PEPs. One man,
she reported, “said he was walking his dog
at 12 o’clock at night with his dog on a leash
and a cart came along with no lights on and
someone yelled at him, ‘Control your dog!’ Photo courtesy of Vince Smith

Committee meeting on March 1. Gayle Adam Pratt’s (sitting) encounter with B.P.C.’s Parks Enforcement Patrol on January
Horwitz, president and CEO of the Battery Continued on page 19 29 led to a promise by the B.P.C.A. to monitor the situation.
6 March 9 - 15, 2011
Heated debate over proposed SoHo B.I.D.
BY ALINE REYNOLDS
The proposed Business Improvement
District for SoHo and the neighborhood’s
zoning laws are prompting heated debates
among residents and workers in the neigh-
borhood.
More than 100 area residents gathered
in the Puffin Room, 435 Broome St., on
February 28 to voice their reservations about
the B.I.D. An anti-B.I.D. protest is sched-
uled for April 2 in front of Councilmember
Margaret Chin’s Downtown district office
at 165 Park Row, when demonstrators will
hand-deliver letters contesting Chin’s pos-
sible support of the B.I.D. Chin however has
never stated she is in support of the B.I.D.
The discussion, mediated by Puffin
Gallery owner and SoHo resident Carl
Rosenstein, quickly evolved into a series
of tirades against the proposal. The B.I.D.,
according to its opponents, would give com-
mercial property owners and ground-floor
retail stores authority over the residents in
neighborhood-wide decisions.
“We each in our own way contributed to
the creation of SoHo as a laissez-faire dis-
trict,” said Rosenstein. “The issue of being
obligated to be taxed by a private entity… is
undemocratic.”
The setup, he and others fear, would
be inequitable, since people living in co-
operatives – predominantly longtime resi-
dents – might not have as much of a say as
Fighting to make
Lower Manhattan
the greatest place
to live, work, and
raise a family.
Assemblyman Shelly Silver
If you need assistance, please contact my office at
(212) 312-1420 or email silver@assembly.state.ny.us.
SoHo resident Carl Rosenstein at the February 28 meeting over the proposed SoHo Business Improvement District.
condominium dwellers.
“What they do is, they take over a lot
of the power that really should go to the
people that actually live and vote in the
districts,” said Broome Street resident Lora
Tenenbaum, a former board member of
Community Board 2. “It really is to a great
extent taxation without representation. It’s
going back to the days when the landowners
got to vote, and the workers didn’t.”
“I do think the business interests are
clearly driving the B.I.D., and have no inter-
ests in the residents whatsoever,” echoed
Broadway resident John Rockville.
The B.I.D. organizers, however, are refut-
ing this allegation. “They’re making the grand
jump to say [how many votes each property
gets],” before the B.I.D. is even formed, said
Barbara Cohen, a senior associate at Robert
B. Pauls consultancy, which is assisting in the
creation of the B.I.D. The steering committee,
she pointed out, is made up of co-op residents
as well as property owners.
The need to keep Broadway litter-free,
a primary function of the proposed B.I.D.,
does not justify establishing a group valued
at $700,000. “Just because [the Association
of Community Employment] says it can’t do
it anymore… doesn’t mean this is the solu-
tion,” said Tenenbaum. “It’s killing a gnat
with a sledgehammer.”
Many residents also oppose the potential
rise in tourism the B.I.D. could bring. “To
attract more people, it’s just an insane idea,”
said Rosenstein. The neighborhood, he said,
has already turned into one big shopping
mall. “It’s kind of insulting to say, we’re
going to officially turn it into a mall.”
“For me,” echoed Rockville, “the prob-
lem is the sheer density of street traffic. It’d
get worse, ‘cause they’re trying to maximize
business.”
Chin was invited to the February 28
meeting, but couldn’t attend due to a sched-
uling conflict.
Chin is scheduling a meeting for SoHo
residents -- including those outside the
B.I.D.’s boundaries -- and B.I.D. organizers
for sometime before March 17, the date of
the next B.I.D. steering committee meet-
downtown express
Downtown Express photo by Aline reynolds
ing. “We still think it would be good to get
everyone in a room together to discuss the
B.I.D., and are working to make that hap-
pen,” said Chin’s communications director,
Kelly Magee.
Chin herself wasn’t available for com-
ment.
In her Talking Point published in the
February 24 issue of The Villager, the
Councilmember said that she would not
support the B.I.D. unless she sees “substan-
tial support” from residents in the proposed
catchment area. “To date,” she said, “that is
not the case. To date, I have not come out in
support of the Broadway B.I.D.”
When the B.I.D. goes before City Council
in the coming months, she said, “I will base
my decision on input from my constituents,”
hoping in the meantime to “find compromise
and reconcile disparate perspectives.”
Another reason Chin and others have not
endorsed the B.I.D. is that residents in six
mixed-use cooperative buildings within the
B.I.D. boundaries will have to pay an aver-
age annual fee of $52 per apartment unit
because the buildings have first-floor com-
mercial properties.
These co-ops, which financially benefit
from the commercial space in their build-
ings, “are treated no differently than a
mixed-use rental property,” according to the
B.I.D. steering committee.
“The resident shareholder, in this case,
is truly the embodiment of ‘mixed-use,’ as
this resident is also a commercial property
owner, as they own shares of a business co-
operation that owns commercial property.”
Though these co-op residents could pos-
sibly become exempt from the annual B.I.D.
fee, it’s a complicated process that requires
a “full investigation” by the B.I.D. steering
committee and the co-ops. “If the B.I.D. was
established, the B.I.D. could certainly assist
in looking into this possibility with each
co-op property,” said Cohen.
downtown express
Tweed Courthouse is currently home to one of Lower Manhattan’s newer schools,
Spruce Street. Proposed cuts to the state budget could mean a delay in the building
of another school.
Budget cuts put new school
in jeopardy, angers parents
BY ALINE REYNOLDS
As if school overcrowding in Lower
Manhattan weren’t bad enough, it might
get worse in the coming years, an alarming
prospect for Downtown parents banking
on sending their children to neighborhood
schools.
The opening of the 400-seat elementary
school Downtown parents were urgently
waiting for could be delayed if proposed
cuts in the state budget go through, accord-
ing to the New York City Department of
Education.
New York State plans to reduce aid for
new school capital projects by 48 percent,
forcing the D.O.E. to delay construction
of 17,000 new school seats citywide and
push back the start construction date of the
Downtown school from 2013 to 2014.
In a written statement, N.Y.C. Schools
Chancellor Cathie Black said that, if the state
matched the city’s six percent cut, rather
than diminishing funding by 48 percent, the
city D.O.E. could afford to create another
11,000 school seats throughout the city.
“We have seen historic and unprecedent-
ed levels of school construction under this
administration, with more than 100,000
new seats already created since 2003,” said
Black — 13,000 of which were created in
Manhattan. “But Albany’s proposed cuts to
our school construction efforts will mean
more overcrowding, fewer new buildings
and deteriorating conditions at our existing
buildings.”
“We understand the need to invest wisely
during these tough budget times,” Black
continued, “but the state’s decision to cut
March 9 - 15, 2011 7
Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds
back on school construction aid means that
we will not be able to keep up with the pro-
jected demand across the city.”
Jack Zarin-Rosenfeld, a spokesperson for
the D.O.E., said the Department would not
have an estimated completion date for the
Downtown elementary school until it selects
a building contractor.
A delay in the school’s opening would be $1.95
“a disaster,” according to Eric Greenleaf, a EACH
professor at the New York University Stern
School, who has extensively researched the
grim outcomes of Downtown school over-
crowding.
“If it is delayed,” said Greenleaf, “school
overcrowding will be catastrophic, and fami-
lies and businesses will leave Downtown
Manhattan in droves.”
Lower Manhattan public schools will
require more than 500 new seats by 2014
to accommodate neighborhood students,
according to Greenleaf’s research. These
numbers would hold true, he said, even if
promised additional space is made avail-
able in P.S./I.S. 276 and the Spruce Street
School, at its new location in the Beekman
Tower at 8 Spruce Street.
Were the 400-seat elementary school
to open in 2014, Greenleaf noted – which,
according to the D.O.E., is no longer an
option -- it would be completely packed the
day it opened, and a second new neighbor-
hood school would need to open the same
year to take in more than 100 surplus stu-
dents.
“We’re in for severe overcrowding, if
Continued on page 17
8 March 9 - 15, 2011
Women’s Health Center Community learns how
New York Downtown Hospital
Dr. Allan Klapper directs the Women’s Health Center at
not to let bed bugs bite
New York Downtown Hospital’s new Wellness & Prevention Center. BY ALINE REYNOLDS
Bed bug infestations can be a night-
mare, which more and more New Yorkers
Dr. Klapper is a recognized leader in the field have recently learned the hard way.
Victims would have been saved much
of Obstetrics and Gynecology, specializing in anxiety and expense if they knew how
the treatment of female urinary incontinence, to prevent bed bugs from entering their
bladder pain, pelvic pain, and pelvic organ homes in the first place. And, according
to pest management control experts, there
support disorders (bladder, uterus, and vagina). are several ways to do so.
He is also a recognized leader in the minimally Bed bug consultants hosted an event at
invasive treatment of gynecological disorders. 201 Mulberry Street in SoHo on March 2
to provide tips on how to stop the blood-
sucking critters in their tracks before
His team of board certified obstetricians, gynecologists and subspecialists they become a problem. “There’s not one
utilizes leading diagnostic and treatment methodologies across a broad simple bullet that’s going to kill or control
them,” said Gretchen Paluch, director of
spectrum of women's health issues including: basic research at EcoSmart, a nationwide
pesticide-producing company. The strat-
egy she and the other experts recommend
• Comprehensive screening, disease prevention, and educational services is known as Integrative Pest Management,
• Routine gynecological assessment a multi-step approach to prevent and
eliminate the spread of bed bugs and
• Adolescent gynecology other pests in one’s home.
• Menopause management The number of bed bug infestations in
New York City and other cities nation-
• Assessment and treatment of urinary incontinence, bladder pain / wide is rapidly climbing. The N.Y.C.
urinary frequency and pelvic support disorders hotline 3-1-1 received 10,985 calls from
residents reporting bed bug infestations
• Assessment and treatment of gynecologic conditions including in 2009, up from 9,213 calls in 2008,
abnormal bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic pain and according to EcoSmart.
ovarian cysts Bed bug experts expect the number to
continue to rise if New Yorkers don’t get
• Cancer prevention and treatment up to speed with prevention measures.
“Education and awareness are [key]
• Infertility evaluation and treatment to helping [prevent] this problem,” said
• Genetic counseling Danny White, an account representative
of Bed Bug Central, an informational
resource company based in Lawrenceville,
The Center also provides DEXA Scan and Digital Mammography services. N.J.
EcoSmart introduced three new fed-
erally approved pest-repellent sprays to
Dr. Klapper’s team at the Women’s Health Center looks forward to the market last Wednesday, consisting
providing superb service and clinical excellence in our comfortable, of rosemary, cinnamon, peppermint and
other plants. Their oil extracts attack the
state-of-the-art Center. insects’ nervous system, killing them on
contact — and act as odor repellents to
For an appointment with Dr. Klapper, Chairman of the the bugs in their attempted journeys to
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, call (646) 588-2500 beds and other furniture.
The company collaborated with uni-
versities and labs around the country to
test the products’ safety and effective-
ness before putting them on the market.
The sprays are supposed to be applied to
suitcases and the headboards and legs of
beds.
Steve Bessette, president of EcoSmart,
stressed that the products are comple-
ments to, not substitutes for, extermina-
tors. “It’s another tool in the toolbox,”
he said.
Starting in April, the sprays will be
available in limited quantities at Shoprite,
Grand Union, Stop & Shop, and several
170 William Street,New York, NY 10038 other chain stores TriState and around
(212) 312-5000 Ň www.downtownhospital.org the country. They are also for sale on
EcoSmart’s website, www.ecosmart.com.
Mattress encasements can also help
deflect bed bugs before they multiply,
downtown express
according to White.
White and his brother, Jeffrey White,
a research entomologist for Bed Bug
Central, held a demonstration at the
SoHo event, placing a bed bug onto the
arm of a participant and watching it suck
her blood.
The Whites also showcased bed bug
monitors, which emit heat, carbon diox-
ide and chemicals that attract the pests
and eventually trap them inside the devic-
es. The monitors are meant for use in
office buildings, retail stores and vacant
spaces.
Genma Holmes, a bed bug consultant
based in Tennessee, provided tips on how
to avoid bringing bed bugs home from
hotels, which have become popular nest-
ing grounds for the pests. Valises’ rough
nylon surfaces are hotbeds for the pests,
since their eggs easily stick to the mate-
rial.
“There’s not one simple
bullet that’s going to kill
or control them.”
— Gretchen Paluch
Holmes advises guests to store all lug-
gage items in the hotel bathroom, where
bed bugs don’t typically congregate, and
discourages the use of closet space, coat
hangers and other critter-hideout ameni-
ties the hotel provides.
Holmes reported that there was no
sign of bed bugs in her hotel room at the
Hampton Inn in SoHo, which she scrupu-
lously inspected before settling in.
Another cautionary tactic is to encase
travel bags in vinyl zip-up cases, which
the company, BugZip, was advertising at
the SoHo session. “Just because the room
looks clean, doesn’t mean there are bed
bugs,” warned the company’s president,
Adam Greenberg. The cases are sold at
USBedbugs.com, Amazon.com, Bed Bath
and Beyond and specialty travel stores.
Joan Reilly, one of around 75 people
who attended the session, raised the
concern of bed bugs camping out in used
furniture transported in U-Haul trucks.
Infestations can indeed occur when mov-
ing residences, Holmes explained, since
the old and new furniture pieces are often
stacked together in the trucks.
Reilly’s sister had bed bugs for two
months last spring, and had to vacuum
and steam her furniture, and bag all
household items, to get rid of them.
Bed bugs tend to resurface in abun-
Continued on page 18
downtown express
SPURA design will try
to ‘maximize light and air’
BY LESLEY SUSSMAN
Lower East Siders got a preview of the
shape of things to come regarding the Seward
Park Urban Renewal Area, or SPURA, on
Mon., Feb. 28, as a newly hired urban designer
outlined various ideas for the site’s future use.
About 100 residents packed into the
6:30 p.m. meeting at University Settlement,
184 Eldridge St. The meeting was called by
Community Board 3’s Land Use, Zoning, Public
and Private Housing Committee, and attend-
ed by representatives of the city’s Economic
Development Corporation and Department of
City Planning.
The meeting was called to hear presenta-
tions from city officials about what’s next in the
planning stage for the long-vacant Seward Park
site and to get feedback from C.B. 3 members
and residents regarding these future plans.
The meeting’s highlight, however, was a
nearly 90-minute-long presentation by Neil
Kittredge, a partner in the architectural and
urban design firm of Beyer Blinder Belle.
The prestigious New York City- and
Washington, D.C.-based company will be
advising the city and Board 3 on preliminary
urban design issues for the 1.5-million-square-
foot redevelopment site at the foot of the
Williamsburg Bridge.
SPURA is the largest swath of city-owned
property in Manhattan south of 96th St. It con-
sists of 10 parcels of land in an area bounded
by Delancey St. on the north, Grand St. on the
south, Essex St. on the west and Clinton St. on
the east.
The architectural firm has been involved in
many large-scale development projects through-
out the country, including the Coney Island
and Governors Island redevelopment projects,
along with DUMBO in Brooklyn. Beyer Blinder
Belle has also participated in the renovation of
the Apollo Theater, Grand Central Terminal
and the Chrysler Building.
The firm was recently hired by E.D.C. to
work with the community on SPURA’s first
phase, now that general community guidelines
for use of the property have been approved.
The new guidelines call for a mixed-use
— residential and commercial — and mixed-
income project on the 7-acre parcel. Fifty
percent of the apartments would be sold for
market-rate prices and 50 percent developed for
affordable housing — a formula some activist
groups representing low-income and working-
class families oppose.
At the meeting, David Quart, E.D.C.’s vice
president of development, cautioned committee
members that while the city was pleased C.B.
3 had finally gained a community consensus
regarding the site’s future use, there was still a
long way to go before work could begin.
Quart said several city agencies — as well as
the mayor and City Council — still needed to
sign off on C.B. 3’s proposal before any commit-
ment is made to beginning costly environmental
and design studies for SPURA.
“You’ve taken an exciting first step,” Quart
said, “but your proposal is not a development
plan, and that’s what we need next and why
March 9 - 15, 2011 9
we’re here tonight — to take this next step.”
The city planner said that this phase of the
redevelopment project would most likely take
until September to be completed, and that a
“master plan” that the city could then consider
for final approval would probably be ready by
spring 2013.
“We’re committed to working with you in a
partnership on all this,” Quart said.
The city planner also told committee mem-
bers that several urban design companies had
been considered before selecting Beyer Blinder
Belle. Quart said the firm was chosen because
it had the strongest design credentials, as well
as the “greatest sensitivity to the needs of the
community.”
This sentiment was echoed by the
Department of City Planning representative,
Edith Han-Chen, who told the committee that
the architectural firm had a “supportive and
sensitive approach, along with an innovative
tradition.”
In his lengthy PowerPoint presentation,
Kittredge outlined a number of design ideas for
the long-vacant site, now home to a sprawling
outdoor parking facility.
“We’ve tried to learn as much as possible
about the guidelines you developed,” Kittredge
said, “because we’re new to this. But we really
hope we can work in partnership with everyone
in the neighborhood.”
He emphasized that Monday’s presentation
was “just an initial framework. It’s a set of ideas
that we hope to build upon,” he said. “We want
these ideas to manifest themselves into a plan
that can create a livable neighborhood.”
The urban designer explained that in devel-
oping some of these preliminary ideas, the
designs of similar projects in Oregon, Germany,
Vancouver and Norway were considered.
“These are all mixed-income developments
and they all created a sense of neighborhood,”
he said. “We wanted to get inspiration from the
best national and international projects.”
The bottom line, Kittredge added, was to
develop a “variety of building heights on the
site, a variety of architecture and streetscapes
that enhanced the pedestrian experience. If we
don’t change the heights of the buildings,” he
continued, “then all you will see is a series of
high-rises. That’s what we don’t want. That’s
what we want to change. We want to create a
real neighborhood. We want to make it easy to
get into this new neighborhood and to get from
one neighborhood to another.”
Kittredge said building heights on all 10
parcels would vary from six to 25 stories.
The urban designer said there would be a
mix of mid-rise buildings and high-rises,
an underground parking garage to enhance
the pedestrian experience and a design that
would “maximize light and air.” He added
that the current city-operated indoor parking
facility on Essex St. near Delancey St. would
not be affected.
In his slide show presentation, the
urban designer outlined his vision of the
Continued on page 17
10 March 9 - 15, 2011 downtown express

EDITORIAL LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

PUBLISHER & EDITOR
It’s all in the name Salt of the Earth Garden and in light of the new tunnel
John W. Sutter that is being built under West Street that
ASSOCIATE EDITOR The news this week that the Lower Manhattan To the Editor: will connect the World Trade Center area
John Bayles Development Corporation will begin the lengthy process Re: “Anne Compccia, fearless community to the Winter Garden. While all of us, I
of establishing a sunset plan is both welcome and long voice, dies at 62” (news article, March 2) think, will welcome the return of stores
ARTS EDITOR awaited. This paper has long been advocating for such Thank you for Albert Amateau’s moving and restaurants to our-getting-emptier-
Scott Stiffler a scenario. piece memorializing Anne Compoccia. I had by-the-day-it-seems Winter Garden and
REPORTERS First we must acknowledge the vital role the agency only one or two opportunities to interact the return of passage through the World
Aline Reynolds played in bringing our neighborhood back to life. with Anne many years ago and, though we Trade Center site, we maintain that this
Albert Amateau And second, we must congratulate the Empire State were strangers, I remember having her com- does not have to be done at the expense
Lincoln Anderson Development Corporation, the L.M.D.C.’s parent agen- plete attention in a way that is still vivid. She of the iconic Winter Garden staircase. We
cy, for recognizing that the time has come to set forth was “real” people, the salt-of-the-earth type can have both!
SR. V.P. OF SALES
AND MARKETING
guidelines to pare down, and eventually eliminate, a that we certainly could use more of in the A group of us - residents and work-
Francesco Regini bureaucracy that no longer has a full mission. Downtown political climate. Now image and ers — are putting together a petition to let
As the L.M.D.C. begins to wind down, two impera- connections, not genuine interest in people, Brookfield know that there is grassroots
SR. MARKETING CONSULTANT tives need to move front and center. One is that the characterize our political representatives. opposition to the demolition of the Winter
Jason Sherwood sunsetting process needs to be completely transparent, Amateau’s article about Anne reminded Garden staircase.
ADVERTISING SALES and undertaken with community input. All remaining me that PR glitz and the superficial motions We are asking that people who are
Allison Greaker funds need to be fully accounted for, and procedures of Community Board and Committee meet- against the destruction of the staircase send
Michael Slagle carefully established for the monitoring of existing initia- ings was not always the way politics was us an e-mail at SaveTheStairs@gmail.com
Julio Tumbaco tives, and the transfer and oversight of some of these done in Downtown Manhattan. For exam- letting us know that you want Brookfield
initiatives to appropriate existing city and state agencies ple, I have not seen Margaret Chin in Battery to Save the Stairs. If you are willing to put
RETAIL AD MANAGER
Colin Gregory where possible. Park City since she was elected to the City your name, building address and zip code in
Secondly, all remaining monies need to be allocated to Council - though I supported her when she the e-mail as well, I will add your name to
BUSINESS MANAGER / CONTROLLER their original catchment area, which is Lower Manhattan. had little support in the neighborhood. As our petition, which presently has over 250
Vera Musa Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Community Board for committees of the Community Board, signatures.
ART / PRODUCTION DIRECTOR 1 Chair Julie Menin, State Senator Daniel Squadron, they do not represent residents but rather I am encouraged by the suggestion that
Troy Masters among others have all stated publicly that any remaining the self-interest of the politician who in the stairs be designated as a landmark by
funds should not end up filling a hole in another city some mysterious way put them in place. Roger Byrom, who chairs Community Board
ART DIRECTOR agency’s budget. While Executive Director of Empire They strike me as a combination of crony- 1’s Landmarks Committee as well as the
Mark Hasselberger State Development Corporation Peter Davidson did ism and out-sized egos. Rest in peace, support for the staircase from Julie Menin,
GRAPHIC DESIGNER allude to the possibility of certain pitfalls along the way, Anne. Maybe it is time for the San Gennaro chair of Community Board 1 and Amanda
Jamie Paakkonen namely a contract being nullified or an already allocated Festival to be re-named. Burden, the City’s Planning Commissioner.
lump of funds becoming available due to unforeseen Let’s let them know that we, the people who
CONTRIBUTORS circumstances, we believe it is vital that in that case the Dolores D’Agostino live in, work in and visit Lower Manhattan,
Terese Loeb Kreuzer • David funds should end up being spent in no place but Lower are behind them and agree that the staircase
Stanke • Jerry Tallmer Manhattan. must be saved.
It is not called the Lower Manhattan Development “Never doubt that a small group of
PHOTOGRAPHERS
J. B. Nicholas • Milo Hess • Corporation for nothing. Save the stairs thoughtful, committed citizens can change
Jefferson Siegel • Terese Loeb the world… it is the only thing that ever
Kreuzer To the Editor: has!” quoting Margaret Mead. We don’t
INTERNS
Jhaneel Lockhart
Notaro, Gallo: a must Re: “Battery Park City Beat: Brookfield
Promotes World Financial Center Plans”
need to change the world… just a small
piece of our world. Thank you for taking the
Gov. Paterson made a good decision last year when he (news article, March 2) time to get involved!
nominated two Battery Park City residents and leaders, As most people are aware by now,
Published by Anthony Notaro and Martha Gallo, to serve on the board Brookfield Properties is planning to Justine Cuccia
COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC of the Battery Park City Authority. Because the State demolish the Winter Garden staircase as Battery Park City resident since 1997; mem-
145 Sixth Ave., NY, NY 10013 Senate did not act on the nominations before Governor part of its redevelopment of the Winter ber of Save Our Staircase
Phone: (212) 229-1890 Cuomo took office, their nominations are now void.
Fax: (212) 229-2790 Notaro and Gallo’s nominations came about after a
On-line: www.downtownexpress.com long campaign to seek greater representation of local
E-mail: news@downtownexpress.com residents on the B.P.C.A. board. Local voices are particu-
larly important because the B.P.C.A. is entering a new
Gay City
NEWS
TM

and critical late phase of its remarkable life in that much

of what it set out to do has been completed.
In its 43 year existence, the B.P.C.A. has succeeded in
Downtown Express is published every week by transforming its 92 acres of World Trader Center landfill
Community Media LLC, 145 Sixth Ave., New
York, N.Y. 10013 (212) 229-1890. The entire into a vibrant neighborhood with 12,000 residents, over
contents of the newspaper, including advertising,
are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced
10 million square feet of commercial space, three schools,
without the express permission of the publisher -
© 2011 Community Media LLC.
35 acres of parks, a ballfield, a library, and a resplendent
esplanade. But there are still crucial issues that remain
PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR
The Publisher shall not be liable for slight to be resolved, a big one being the renegotiation of many
changes or typographical errors that do not
lessen the value of an advertisement. The of the neighborhood condominiums’ ground rents. And
publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions
in connection with an advertisement is strictly
this is in the context of a possible plan by the City to take
limited to publication of the advertisement in any
subsequent issue.
over the Authority by exercising its one-dollar option and
assuming the Authority’s obligations.
Member of the
New York Press Both Gallo and Notaro will give the neighborhood a
Association stronger say in these big discussions and decisions. Both
Member of the have demonstrated a strong understanding of local issues Downtown Express photo by Milo Hess
National and a commitment to their neighborhood. They should
Newspaper
Association
be promptly re-nominated by Governor Cuomo and con-
firmed by the Senate.
Sunbathing already?
© 2010 Community Media, LLC This Mallard duck was enjoying the sun at the South Ferry terminal last weekend.
downtown express March 9 - 15, 2011 11

TALKING POINT
Saint Patrick, the banner, the hat and the F.B.I.
BY ALPHIE MCCOURT
In Ireland, in the new millennium, the
Celtic Tiger roared, church attendance fell
and the collection box pleaded for mercy.
More recently, the Tiger slipped into decline.
At last report he was spotted at the American
Embassy in Dublin, picking up a student
visa. The people of Ireland are not entirely
surprised. There has been minimal unrest
and not much by way of protest. Over cen-
turies, the Irish have learned to be silent. Is
it O’Merta? And, among the Irish, fatalism
is a blessing. In times of great joy, they say,
an Irishman is consoled by the knowledge,
that around the next corner, a great disaster
awaits.
And yet, in March of last year, in a big
surprise, Pope Benedict apologized to the
Irish people for decades of sexual abuse
at the hands of the Catholic clergy. The
Vatican, at last, was listening. (A cynic
would see a connection between empty col-
lection boxes and the pope’s apology.) But
the pope made it personal. “I am truly sorry,”
he said. (Recently, in Dublin, in a Christlike
gesture, two bishops knelt and washed the
feet of the abused.)
In a June surprise, the British prime min-
ister apologized for the events of January 30,
1972. On that day, Bloody Sunday, in Derry
City in Northern Ireland, a detachment of
elite British troops fired on the participants
in a peaceful demonstration. Fourteen peo-
ple died. Some were teenagers; some were
shot in the back.
Public figures, politicians among them,
sometimes apologize. They utter the usual
tripe about their own possibly “inappropri-
ate behavior.” “Sorry” is beyond or beneath
them. Not so David Cameron, the British
prime minister. On behalf of his government,
he apologized. And, on his own behalf,
“I am deeply sorry,” he said. No ifs, ands
or buts, just “deeply sorry.” Former Prime
Minister Tony Blair initiated the inquiry.
David Cameron finished it.
No one apologized to Saint Patrick for
being kidnapped, and brought to Ireland as
a teenaged slave. After years of slavery, he
escaped. In 432, a bishop now, he returned.
He could have sought an apology. Instead,
he set out to convert the Irish to Christianity.
The Irish had their gods. He had his. The
High King could not accept the Holy Trinity.
How could there be three persons in one
God? “King,” said Saint Patrick, “look at
this sprig of shamrock. There’s one stem
with three leaves.” “Got it,” said the king.
“O.K.,” said Patrick: in the same way there
are three persons — the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit. All three go to make up
one God. Three leaves on one stem; three
persons in one God. “Got it?” “Got it,” said
the king.
The shamrock became a symbol of all
things Irish but, nowadays, when you see a
shamrock, you are sure to find a bar, a beer
or, at best, an Irish gift shop selling toora-
loora-loora. The three persons of the Trinity
are hanging out somewhere else.
Often abbreviated to Paddy’s Day and,
sometimes, in a gender bender, to Patty’s
Day, Saint Patrick’s Day in New York brings
green beer, corned beef and cabbage, and
high winds. For some it means being drunk
in the rain, drunk in the snow, and, with any
luck, drunk by 4 p.m.
“Jeez, did we drink,” the adults will
boast the next day, and list their disastrous
exploits, as if they’ve earned a badge of
honor. The catalyst for all this madness? The
Saint Patrick’s Day Parade.
I have had some significant Saint Patrick’s
Days. On my first Saint Patrick’s Day in New
York, I had to earn my own badge of honor.
Not long on the job, I was working for the
First Boston Corporation, down in the Wall
Street area, feeding frames into a giant
gloppiter-gloppiter mainframe computer. On
the day after Saint Patrick’s Day, I couldn’t
face the mainframe. I couldn’t even face the
mirror, never mind the ride to work. The
following day was a Friday so I made it a
four-day weekend. On Monday, I reported
for work. “Go and see personnel. And take
your coat,” they said. The woman who had
hired me was disappointed. She had fore-
seen a bright future for me with First Boston.
I was sorry to disappoint her but a man must
do his duty.
By 1973 I was living in Larkspur,
California, and working in a restaurant in the
town. As Saint Patrick’s Day approached, I
repeated my annual speech about the stupid-
ity of the whole thing, about professional
Irishmen and would-be Irishmen. Soon,
people stopped listening.
On the evening before the day, Jenny
walked into the bar. We had had a night
once.
“Will we go for a drink?” I asked her.
I finished work at seven o’clock. “Where
would you like to go?” I asked.
“Your place,” she murmured, and the
blood began to sing. Up through the canyon
we walked, to find the door to my apartment
slightly ajar. Cursing my own carelessness, I
pushed open the door.
“Surprise, surprise” rang out from the
small crowd gathered inside. They had had
to listen to my preachments against all the
Saint Patrick’s Day nonsense. Now I am to
be punished. With beer, tequila, Chinese
food and marijuana, we celebrated. We
spent the next day, Saint Patrick’s Day itself,
on Stinson Beach and, in the evening, we
went over to Sausalito to hear some music.
That was a fine Saint Patrick’s Day.
My one experience of marching in
the Fifth Avenue parade was in the early
’80s. My young daughter, Allison, loved
parades, the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade,
in particular. It would be a treat if we
could march. I had no connection with any
organized Irish group and you couldn’t just
join in and march. You had to belong. The
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy had not yet
been invented but I used it anyway. I didn’t
tell them that I come from Limerick.
As a wise man said, “What’s the use of
being Irish, if you can’t be thick?” Yes, the
members of the parade committee have
the right to be thick, to be stubborn, to
say no. Their forebears, and mine, had to
fight their way up. They suffered discrimi-
nation aplenty, in jobs, in housing and in
general. “No Irish need apply” kept them
out of jobs and housing, but, somehow,
they got past it. Along the way they shov-
eled tons of shite, built our bridges and
tunnels, taught our children, policed our
streets, fought our fires and performed,
with distinction, in all the wars. And they
participated fully in government, all the
way to the White House. Now we have
more or less arrived.
Why then, after all that, would the
parade committee slam the door behind
them? Is it a love of tradition? Is it fear
that certain groups will turn the parade
into their own version of carnival: that the
hard-earned dignity and respectability of
the organizers will go out the window?
With a workable peace process in place
in Northern Ireland and the “Don’t ask,
don’t tell” policy left in the dust, it is clear
that miracles do happen. Surely, one day,
the parade will be all-inclusive. And for
those who can’t get over it, there’s always
Irish Alzheimer’s. With Irish Alzheimer’s,
they say, we forget everything — “every-
thing but the grudge.”
As I said, at that time I had no official
Irish connections or affiliations, so I called
the United Irish Counties Association.
“Sure,” they say. “Come on and march
with us.”
The assembly point is at 38th and Fifth.
I am an Irishman, mind you, born and bred
but I think they saw me comin’.
“Would you like to carry a banner?”
“I haven’t carried a banner since I was 12
but I’ll give it a shot.”
It’s a two-man banner. I am wearing a flat-
brimmed Stetson hat which I wear when it
rains, when I travel and on ceremonial occa-
sions. The parade is televised. Pipe bands,
police contingents, firefighters, marching
bands, high school cheerleaders, all of them
are brilliant in uniform and costume, in
their contagious spirit and obvious pride.
I’m sure a tape of the parade still exists. And
I’m sure that there’s a special tape, stashed,
no doubt, in the files of certain government
agencies, with a clear image of the eejit in
the Stetson. This is during the early ’80’s.
Mine is the most inflammatory banner of all,
the one that proclaims: “England Get out of
Ireland.”
Meanwhile, up ahead, Allison grows tired
and sits down, among the marchers, in the
middle of 86th Street. My wife, Lynn, is
stuck, until willing hands and voices, from
behind and beside her, raise Allison to her
feet and cheer her the rest of the way.
In 2006 we four brothers — Frank,
Malachy, Michael and I — are invited to lead
the “alternative” Saint Patrick’s Day Parade,
in Woodside, Queens. This is a terrific affair.
No matter your place of origin, your color,
belief or sexual orientation, you are wel-
come. Children are especially welcome. It’s a
festive, thoroughly enjoyable walk with great
music and dancing and a few welcoming
speeches. During the speeches, while stand-
ing next to a high elected official, I’m stuck
for something to say.
“We’re probably under surveillance, by
the F.B.I., right now,” I remark.
“The F.B.I.?” says the high official. “I
doubt that the F.B.I. could even find us.”
There’s hope for us yet.
12
Tents and Trails carries gear for every excursion
BY JHANEEL LOCKHART
Stop by Tents and Trails and there’s a
chance you might become a customer for life.
Located on Park Place, where its green
storefront stands out among the cacophony
of buildings and awnings, Tents and Trails is
an outdoor goods store, but over the years it
has become a grab-bag for its patrons, who
can expect to find anything from a sleeping
bag to a banana holder on the store’s well-
stocked shelves.
The three-floor store is packed floor to
ceiling with outdoor gear and equipment for
every situation possible.
“This is the kind of store you just stop in
any time you get a chance because you never
know what wonderful things you’ll find,”
said one gentleman in the shop, who has
been a customer since 1961. “Even if you
have no idea you need it, you say ‘Oh my
God. Look at that. I gotta get that.’ ”
He recalled a big blue torpedo that used
to sit in front of the shop at its former loca-
tion on Chambers Street, a nod to the busi-
ness’ earlier days as a supplier of weapons
and war surplus when it was founded over
50 years ago by Harry Lipman.
It is currently co-run by his daughers
Jamie Abish and Heather Lipman, who
grew up with the store and have watched it
change over the decades.
Now, their store has a diverse clien-
tele, which include more international cus-
tomers, companies such as the Big Apple
$
5.00 OFF
admission with this ad
MARCH 12-13, 2011
18TH
Original
AMERICA'S PREMIER GLBT EVENT...
IN THE HEART OF NEW YORK CITY
JACOB JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER, 38TH ST. AND 11TH AVE. NYC
March 9 - 15, 2011
Tents and Trails’ slogan is “We can outfit you for the Catskills to Katmandu.”
Circus, the Manhattan Trapeze School and
Broadway productions; and big names such
as the Bronx Zoo, the American Museum of
Natural History and the Field Museum of
Chicago.
“I attract everybody, from inner urban
youth to Wall Streeters and I am not kidding,
downtown express
Regardless of their needs, one thing
keeps all her customers coming back: their
knack for customer service, provided by a
well-informed staff, whose experiences in
the world of hiking make them uniquely
qualified to answer customers’ questions.
“My staff has particular fortes. They
know what they are talking about,” said
Abish.
Several members of her 25-man staff
have climbed the world’s highest moun-
tain, including Kaji Sherpa, who previ-
ously held the world record in 1998 for
climbing Mount Everest in 20 hours and
24 minutes.
Customers also turn to Tents and Trails
for their diverse offerings of all sorts of gear,
and on a busy day, the store can outfit up to
250 shoppers for their outdoor adventures.
“We can outfit you for the Catskills to
Katmandu,” said Abish, quoting Tents and
Trails’ slogan. “If you’re just going hiking
in the Catskills, ordinary hiking… we can
outfit you with some simple day packs and
shoes, but if you’re going up to Kilamanjaro
Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds
or Katmandu, which is the roof of the world
… we can outfit you.”
it’s definitely that kind of diversified crowd,”
said Abish. “The Wall Streeters are going Tents and Trails is located at 21 Park
on expeditions or they’re doing fancy travel- Place, New York, NY 10007 and is open
ing. The inner urban kids, they’re looking Mon. –Wed., Sat. from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
for things that will really hold up […] They and Thu. – Fri. from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and
want boots that everybody in the crowd isn’t Sun. from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more infor-
going to be wearing.” mation call (212) 227-1760.
TAKE THE TRAIN TO THE SHOW AND SAVE!
RAIL & SHOW DISCOUNT
GETAWAY PACKAGE
Click on Deals and Getaways at www.mta.info
MARY OCCHINO
Gifted Psychic-Intuitive
Author and host of
Star of SyFy's Reality Show“Mary Knows Best”
ARE YOU NEW YORK’S
TOP GAY CHEF?
The 18th Original GLBT Expo will present the
opportunity for 10 of the Most Talented GLBT
Chefs to compete for the title of “NEW YORK’S
TOP GAYCHEF”.
O u r P av i l i o n S p o n s o r s
---------------------------EDUCATIONAL SERIES SPONSOR---------------------------
FOR INFORMATION ON EXHIBITING AND ATTENDING:
RDP GROUP 800-243-9774 • INFO@RDPGROUP.COM
ORIGINALGLBTEXPO.COM
downtown express
Pier A in Battery Park City will soon be home to a swank new restaurant and event
space.
Pier A fate decided
Continued from page 1
months,” said Peter Poulakakos shortly after
the B.P.C.A. board meeting at which the con-
tract was approved, “ but we didn’t know we
had been awarded the contract until the vote
today.” He said that his father, Harry, was
“absolutely thrilled. He’s had aspirations
for doing a project in Pier A for the last 50
years. He’s living the dream right now.”
Harry Poulakakos immigrated to New
York City at the age of 18 from Sparta,
Greece. His first restaurant job was at an
ice cream parlor in Brooklyn. Later he went
to work for other restaurants, including
14 years in managerial positions at Oscar’s
Delmonico’s. In 1972, he opened his own
restaurant, Harry’s at Hanover Square, in
the basement of the historic India House
building, where Harry’s Steak House is now
located.
Pier A, which overlooks the Statue of
Liberty and Ellis Island — gateway for mil-
lions of immigrants to the United States
— is the last of the 19th-century piers that
once lined the Hudson River in Lower
Manhattan. It was built for the New York
City Department of Docks & Ferries in
1884-1886. A clock tower was added in
1919 as a World War I memorial. Pier A
March 9 - 15, 2011 13
Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds
America’s Fastest Refunds
had been empty for years, with numerous
aborted plans for its redevelopment, when,
in 2008, the City’s Economic Development
Corp. allocated $30 million to the Battery
Park City Authority to renovate the pier and
find a permanent tenant.
$50 off
“We don’t have an official
Tax Preparation Services
Liberty provides employees friendly, accurate tax
timeline yet as to when the preparation services with a money back guarantee.
renovation work will be
completed.”
— Peter Poulakakos
The Battery Park City Authority still has
some structural work to do on the pier before
it can be turned over to the Poulakakos’s. 384 Grand Street 15 Maiden Lane
“We don’t have an official timeline yet as at Suffolk Street Suite 601
to when the renovation work will be com-
pleted,” said Peter Poulakakos. He said that
New York NY 10002 New York NY 10038
he thought it would take 12 to 18 months 212-260-7363 212-227-3300
to complete work on the pier after the
For new customers. Valid at participating locations. Cannot be combined with other offers
Authority finishes its work on the core and or used toward past services. Not valid for bank products. One coupon per return. Valid 1/1 - 4/8
shell of the building.
14
Dana Beal, right, leading a medical marijuana rally at City Hall last summer.
Pot activist: ‘It was all medical marijuana’
BY LINCOLN ANDERSON
Dana Beal would rather be smoking a
joint — but he’s in the joint.
Bleecker St. marijuana activist Beal
continues to sit in jail in Wisconsin after
police arrested him and Lance Ramer
of Omaha, Nebraska, on Jan. 6 with an
alleged 186 pounds of pot in a car that
Ramer was driving and in which Beal was
a passenger.
Beal has been unable to make his
$50,000 bail, though his lawyer has been
fighting to get the amount reduced. Bail
bondsmen — who take a 10 percent pay-
ment to post bond — aren’t allowed in
Wisconsin.
According to a source, Beal’s Wisconsin
case probably won’t go to trial until May.
A leader of the Yippie movement and a pot
activist since the 1960’s, Beal also faces
similar charges in a 2009 Nebraska case,
when he was arrested with 150 pounds of
marijuana in a vehicle he was riding in.
That case could go to trial this month, the
source said.
Beal last year told this newspaper that
the weed in the Nebraska arrest was
acquired in California, and that he was
planning to deliver it to medical marijuana
buyers’ clubs in Michigan and New York
City.
He currently reportedly faces up to
seven-and-a-half years in jail.
In the meantime, as he passes the time
imprisoned, Beal is, well, being Beal. A
passionate advocate of ibogaine — which
he touts as a miracle cure for heroin addic-
March 9 - 15, 2011
tion — Beal reportedly has heard that the
son of the judge on his case might have a
heroin problem, and if so, could benefit
from treatment with the African-plant-
derived drug.
“He’s driving his lawyer crazy talking
about ibogaine,” said Paul DiRienzo, a
former WBAI radio reporter and friend of
Beal’s. “He thinks ibogaine might be useful
for the judge’s son if he’s on heroin — now
he can offer the judge’s son a cure for
heroin. He would be willing to do ibogaine
with him,” as in monitor the man’s dosing
with the powerful drug.
Beal is also said to be giving advice to
a man in a cell across from him detoxing
from dope.
DiRienzo noted the judge on the
Wisconsin case, William Dyke, is “a very
conservative judge — he was the mayor of
Madison in the ’60’s when they were beat-
ing up protesters.” In 1976, Dyke was the
vice-presidential running mate of Lester
Maddox, a staunch segregationist, in his
bid for the U.S. presidency.
DiRienzo spoke to this newspaper last
week a few days after having had a 20-min-
tue conversation with Beal and his lawyer,
Bryon Walker. The calls are expensive for
Beal, and Aron Kay, a.k.a. “The Yippie Pie
Man,” has been raising money to pay for
Beal’s daily phone calls and other jailhouse
expenses.
DiRienzo said the hope is that the
authorities will just release Beal and pos-
sibly only make him pay a fine. He said
Walker will argue that, at this point, Beal
simply can’t be rehabilitated, prison’s pur-
ported purpose.
“‘Why spend the time and money reha-
bilitating a 64-year-old pothead who’s
never going to change?’ That’s what the
lawyer said to me,” DiRienzo reported.
Beal, during the conversation, also com-
plained that the guards aren’t letting him
‘He’s being victimized by
neo-nazis who don’t like
marijuana, in general.’
Aron Kay, a.k.a.
‘The Yippie Pie Man’
take food back to his cell. DiRienzo said
Beal has always suffered from insomnia,
and likes to eat small portions throughout
the night. Not being allowed to do so is
worsening his insomnia, DiRienzo said,
plus, as a result, “he’s not getting rough-
age.”
DiRienzo said he couldn’t go into the
case’s specifics.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said.
“According to his lawyer, he’s innocent.”
“I’m not at liberty to talk about the
case,” added Kay. “He’s being victimized
by neo-nazis who don’t like marijuana, in
downtown express
Photo by Greg Mango
general.”
People who want to send money to
Beal, can do it by PayPal, via pieman@pie-
man.org, he said. There’s also a Facebook
page, “Free Dana Beal Free Ourselves,”
with more information on how to send
cash to Beal. In addition to phone calls, the
money allows Beal to pay for juices, sweets
and the like.
While locked up in Wisconsin, Beal
obviously won’t be able to organize the
Global Marijuana March (a.k.a. The
Million Marijuana March) on Sat., May 7,
as he has done for years.
“We’re going to pull it together, one
way or another,” assured Kay. “Nothing
will stop it.”
Another Yippie source said, “Someone
in Portland is picking up the slack.”
The pot march occurs in cities around
the world. Organizers for this year’s New
York event are reportedly seeking a permit
to march from Washington Square Park to
Battery Park City.
If there’s an upside to his time in jail,
Beal at least gets to watch four TV news
channels there, noted the Yippie source,
adding, “That’s more than he gets at 9
Bleecker St.” During the Super Bowl, Beal
reportedly was telling his prison mates to
pipe down, oblivious to the fact that the
Packers’ playing in the game was an event
of historic proportions in Wisconsin.
Beal’s arrest was also big news at
least in part of the “Badger State,” in
Continued on page 15
downtown express
Continued from page 14
Iowa County, 10 miles outside Madison.
According to a Jan. 14 article in the
Dodgeville Chronicle (“Barneveld police
make huge drug bust”), on Jan. 6 a police
officer stopped the vehicle Beal was in
because it had a broken taillight and some
expired registration plates. Initially, Police
Officer Nick Zimpel was prepared to issue
just a warning, “perhaps a citation,” but he
said, “I approached the vehicle and could
smell an odor of marijuana coming, and at
that time, I called for backup.” Ava, a K-9
police dog, was called in and, not surpris-
ingly, immediately “hit on the vehicle.”
Officers subsequently found a duffel bag
with a “brick” of marijuana, with the
whole haul of pot having a street value of
more than $750,000.
A follow-up Dodgeville Chronicle article
on Jan. 21 (“Who really is Irvin Dana Beal?”)
stated, “Federal investigators are being care-
ful with what information is released [about
Beal’s case]. They feel it could compromise
an investigation into a national drug ring
which runs from California to New York
with multiple locations.”
However, to hear Beal tell it, while he
does admittedly transport cannabis cross-
country, it’s marijuana for medical pur-
poses. He calls people like himself “angels”
for bringing pot to those who need it, and
says it’s a crime to prosecute them for
doing so.
Speaking last year, referring to his
October 2009 Nebraska bust, Beal told
this newspaper, “I’m just really offended
by these a—holes in Nebraska saying it’s
not all medical marijuana.” That is: that all
the pot in the car was going to be used for
medical purposes.
He’s been a medical marijuana advocate
for more than two decades. He showed a
New York newspaper article from the 1980’s,
with a photo of him walking down the street,
with a satchel over his shoulder, on his way to
make a health-related reefer delivery.
Last July, Beal and medical marijuana
advocates gathered on the City Hall steps
in Lower Manhattan for a press conference
to condemn comments made by Bridget
Brennan, the New York special narcotics
prosecutor, against a perennially pending
bill to legalize medical marijuana here.
Last year, advocates had hoped the bill
finally had a chance to pass.
Those at the rally included AIDS suffer-
ers, who said pot restored their appetites
and kept them from wasting away; and a
woman with M.S. and another, a survivor
of third-stage breast cancer, who said mar-
ijuana eased the pain they felt from their
afflictions and, in the case, of the woman
who had fought cancer, painful radiation
treatments.
Basically, Beal said, he supplied pot to
medical marijuana buyers’ clubs, not only
in New York, but also in other places, like
Michigan.
“Three-and-a-half clubs [in New York]
are connected to me,” he said. Beal said he
supplied the clubs twice weekly, at locations
in Manhattan and “the Village,” but didn’t
want to get more specific. “They’re based
on Tupperware parties,” he said. “More
March 9 - 15, 2011 15
than 400 people in New York City are in
some kind of [medical marijuana] club.”
At the press conference, he stated,
“Medical marijuana is well established
here and won’t be affected if I go to jail
— except it might cost a little more. I was
keeping the cost down.”
Beal said he likes to buy pot in California
because it’s less expensive, adding, “I prefer
stuff that’s grown outdoors. I prefer stuff
that’s strong.” People with health needs
need strong pot in order to benefit from the
maximum medical effect, he explained. Beal
noted he has to get the pot cross-country
quickly, or it will start to “self-combust,”
due to the volatile oils in it.
Told this, Special Narcotics Prosecutor
Brennan scoffed that it sounded like
“Cheech and Chong.” In an interview,
Brennan charged that medical marijuana
users mainly covet “the big bang to the
head” that pot provides. Among other
things, she said marijuana should first be
removed from Schedule 1 of the Controlled
Substances Act, allowing it to be tested for
medical properties by federal researchers,
only after which it could potentially be
legalized for medical use.
At the end of the City Hall press con-
ference last July, Beal asked everyone to
hold up their “Cannabis Patients Registry”
cards — but no one did.
Photo by Lincoln Anderson “That was embarrassing — everybody
John Pylka with his Cannabis Patients Registry ID card and Tibetan compassion flag. forgot to bring their cards,” he said.
Later, he said he realized they were
afraid to show their cards because they
were out of date. He prints them up and
laminates them at the Yippie Cafe, where
he lives, at 9 Bleecker St. in Noho. The
card’s front includes the person’s photo,
while the back lists his or her medical con-
dition and special needs.
As the Dodgeville Chronicle noted,
Beal isn’t unknown in Wisconsin, where
he first appeared more than 40 years ago
as a leader of Yippie protests against the
Vietnam War.
In fact, DiRienzo said, he met both
Beal and Kay in Madison, which was
known for its radicalism — “more radical
than Berkeley,” he noted. While he was a
student at Madison, DiRienzo said he met
Beal during a conference about the 1980’s,
where Beal argued with the organizer and
took over the event. DiRienzo said he first
made the acquaintance of “The Yippie Pie
Man” when Kay pied Madison’s mayor.
DiRienzo said, if he has to make a choice,
Beal would prefer to serve time in Wisconsin
since it’s an “intellectual state,” whereas, in
Nebraska, “they don’t like New Yorkers.”
A month after the press conference,
Beal stopped by this newspaper’s office
to introduce John Pylka, who was visiting
from Washington, D.C. Pylka is a member
there of the Cannabis Patients Registry, a
medical marijuana buyers’ club, for which
Beal said he supplied pot.
At one point, Pylka unfolded and held
out a small Tibetan compassion flag (actu-
ally, a series of small flags tied together on
a string), then said, “It takes a lot of guts
to do this. We wouldn’t be doing this if the
Photo by Greg Mango federal government allowed this.”
Sheila Steinberg of Chelsea, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1991, “See,” Beal said later, as they were leav-
said marijuana eases the tensions in her body and her discomfort, and may have ing through the door, “there really is an
halted the disease’s progression. East Coast medical marijuana network.”
16 March 9 - 15, 2011 downtown express

BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER heath, five of them indigenous to Great

Britain. All are evergreen shrubs, known
AN IRISH COTTAGE to the great 18th century botanist, Carl
The Irish immigrants who made such a Linnaeus. The heath atop the Irish Hunger
mark on New York City are remembered Memorial should continue to bloom for
year round, not just on St. Patrick’s Day, at another month or so. Then it will be sup-
the Irish Hunger Memorial in Battery Park planted by flowers such as yellow flag
City. The memorial records the dreadful iris and foxglove, chosen for the memo-
famine of 1845-1852 that killed over a mil- rial because they bloomed in County Mayo
lion people in Ireland and drove a million where deaths were first reported from the Downtown Express photos by Terese Loeb Kreuzer
more to emigrate. Irish potato famine of the 1840s. The Irish Hunger Memorial in Battery Park City includes a stone cottage that was
A focal point of the memorial is a roof- originally erected in Carradoogan, a town in County Mayo, Ireland.
less cottage, taken stone by stone from B.P.C. PARKS CONSERVANCY SEEKS
Carradoogan in the parish of Attymass, VOLUNTEERS are maintained without the use of toxic ings, 7:30 a.m. to noon, from May 4 to
County Mayo. With no electricity or run- City dwellers starved for a chance to pesticides or fertilizers. Volunteers have October 26. Experience is a plus, but not
ning water, it sheltered six generations of dig and prune can sate that longing by a chance to learn about the Conservancy’s necessary.
the Slack family. It was last inhabited in the volunteering to work alongside the horti- gardening methods and to make an impor- “We will train as we go!” said Eileen
1960’s. cultural staff at the Battery Park City Parks tant contribution to maintaining Battery Calvanese, head horticulturist.
The cottage was shipped to New York Conservancy. The community has more Park City’s internationally acclaimed gar- For more information, call (212) 267-
City in 47 large containers and reassembled than 30 acres of parks and gardens that dens. Volunteers work Wednesday morn- 9700 or e-mail info@bpcparks.org.
under the supervision of Nigel Copsey, a
mason trained in traditional stone con-
struction. The mortar that holds the stones
together is made from lime and is more flex-
ible than Portland cement, used in modern
structures.
The Slack family donated the cottage to
the memorial in “memory of all the Slack
family members of previous generations who
emigrated to America and fared well there.”
The Irish Hunger Memorial was dedi-
cated on July 16, 2002 by Mary McAleese,
president of the Republic of Ireland, and by a
number of politicians and dignitaries includ-
ing Timothy S. Carey, then president and CEO
of the Battery Park City Authority, George
Pataki, who was governor of New York State
at the time, and James Gill, chairman of the
Battery Park City Authority. All had ancestors
who had emigrated from Ireland.

BATTERY PARK CITY IN BLOOM:

WINTER HEATH
Though we have been favored with a few
temperate days, cold and even snow can per-
sist through March. Early-blooming bulbs
are beginning to show leaves and flowers in
some of Battery Park City’s sheltered nooks,
but much of Battery Park City is subjected
to sharp winds from the river. Atop the Irish
Hunger Memorial, a particularly wind-swept
spot, hardy winter heath (Erica x darleyen-
sis ‘Kramer’s Rote’’) is in bloom as similar
plants might be on the wind-swept coast of
Ireland. Winter heath blooming on the windswept summit of the Irish Hunger Memorial in Battery Park City. The vegetation and the
There are more than 800 species of stones on the memorial came from Ireland.
downtown express March 9 - 15, 2011 17

Cuts to budget could Gay City News, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce LGBT-2-B
Committee & Marriage Equality New York present

mean no new school The Economic Impact of

Continued from page 7
the Peck Slip school is the only school they
build,” he said.
Education activist Tricia Joyce, a P.S. 234
parent, was equally dismayed by the news. “It’s
not an option to delay the school unless [the
D.O.E.] wants to answer to the 35 percent
of the neighborhood that would leave if they
don’t build the school,” she said. “Hurting the
generation that’s coming up, that’ll be leading
us in the future, makes no sense at all.”
There are so many other areas other than
school construction where the D.O.E. could
make cutbacks, she said, such as its legal
and public relations departments. “We need
to move beyond this and find real solutions.
This is a non-solution in my view.”
State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver,
who leads the School Overcrowding Task
Force in Lower Manhattan, called on the
School Construction Authority to build the
400-seat elementary school “without delay.”
His task force spearheaded the effort to
secure the U.S. Postal Service site at One
Peck Slip for the school.
“Even in difficult economic times,” said
Silver, “providing a quality education for
our children must remain a top priority. The
population Downtown is surging, and we
have an immediate need for new classroom
seats so that children can attend quality
schools in their community.”
Neglecting the demand for more Lower
Manhattan school seats is “unacceptable,”
according to New York State Senator Daniel
Squadron in a March 3 letter to Black.
Squadron said he intends to work with
Gay Marriage in New York
Black to restore state funding, which he How would gay marriage in New York impact your business?
deems a “top priority.”
“While I appreciate the severe budget
Find out more from John Liu, NYC Comptroller, Christine C. Quinn,
constraints on the S.C.A.,” he said, “failure NYC Council Speaker and a group of panelists from Marriage Equality NY,
to met the need for new school seats would American Airlines, Prestigious Elegant Events, Immigration Equality,
worsen a crisis that already affects all of MetLife and the foremost economist on economic effects on gay marriage,
Lower Manhattan; it must not happen.” M.V. Lee Badgett plus many others whose business will be impacted from
Squadron continued, “A construction same-sex civil marriage.
delay will force already overcrowded schools Followed by Q & A, networking opportunity, the session promises to
to absorb even more students, a scenario
that is untenable for the families of Lower
deliver realistic financial status in real time with current world
Manhattan, who have suffered from the con- social/governmental conditions and what might be the future.
sequences of insufficient planning for years.” Refreshments and hors d'oeuvres will be served. RSVP required.
Squadron also noted that the S.C.A. was
once in a position to build the school
Discussion moderated by Paul Schindler, Editor-In-Chief, Gay City News.
“They had the opportunity to build [the when: March 14, 2011 • from 6-8 pm
school] when they were flush with cash. Now,
they must make good on their promise.” where: Met Life, 1095 Avenue of the Americas
The D.O.E. Panel for Educational Policy (between 41st & 42nd Streets)
will vote on the Department’s five-year capi-
tal plan on March 23. It will then go to the
how: RSVP www.ManhattanCC.org/marriage
$25 members / $35 non-members
Mayor and City Council for approval. The
city’s operating and capital budgets will be
finalized by June 30, the exact vote date
being subject to negotiations between the
two parties, according to a spokesperson for
the Mayor’s office.
Currently, the D.O.E. is in exclusive nego-
tiations with the Peck Slip Post Office for
acquisition of the two-floor space at One
Peck Slip, the proposed site of the elementary
school. The deal would close in mid-summer,
once the approval process is complete and the $35 Prix Fixe Lunch
contract is signed, according to a spokesper- Celebrating our 16th anniversary in Tribeca
son for the U.S. Postal Service.
“One of TriBeCa’s fanciest Italians”, this “special-occasion” Tuscan features
“excellent” food served by a “fawning” staff skilled in “old-school” tableside
preparation; “low lighting” , “pretty” decor and “amazing” gratis grappa “make

SPURA design the hefty tabs easier to digest.”

~Zagat 2009

Continued from page 9
new community. It showed sketches of
streets filled with outdoor cafes and stores.
He said smaller shops would be located on
side streets, while Delancey and Essex Sts.
would house stores run by larger retail-
ers and chains. He said there would also
to the history and feelings of this commu-
nity. But no matter what happens,” she said,
“what I want is more affordable housing for
working families.”
Joel Feingold, a GOLES community
organizer, said the plan still required more
public input, “and there’s still broad oppo-
sition to the proposal, in general,” he
added.
“A “trip to Italy without the airfare” offering some of the “best classic Italian in
the city” ; “excellent food and service” backed up by “free grappa” at meal’s
and make it “one of the city’s hidden treasures.”
~ Zagat 2010
The food, the service and the ambiance make you feel like you
are in a scene from the Godfather. “We will make you a dish you
can’t refuse!” Our unique Northern Italian Cuisine, atmosphere
and impeccable service will make your dining experience
~Michelin Restaurant Guide, 2008

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

be some second-story retail stores along
Delancey and Essex.
Reaction to Kittredge’s presentation
appeared overwhelmingly favorable, not
only by C.B. 3 members, but also by repre-
sentatives of activist groups such as Good
Old Lower East Side (GOLES), which con-
tinues to press for more affordable housing
on the site.
After the presentation, C.B. 3 member
Linda Jones said she was “excited” by the
ideas presented. She told Kittredge, “It
was an extremely valuable overview so that
we can start understanding the principles
you’re working with.”
Adrienne Chevrestt, a longtime local


activist and GOLES supporter, said the new
architectural firm “seems to be responsive
Another concern was the preservation of
the historic Essex Street Market, which may
be relocated as part of the plan. Residents
said they want the market, as it exists today,
to remain at its present location.
- Your hosts Sergio & Timmy
Cynthia Lamb, a Seward Park Co-op res- ~Z
ident, said of keeping the market: “There’s
broad support for this. It’s a place of history
and we want it to stay where it is.”
Chevresst added, “We’re also concerned
that there be a cultural center built there, Open for Lunch & Dinner
schools and a green environment with Mon. - Fri., Lunch: 12 - 3 PM
plenty of open spaces.”
Acting committee chairperson Dominick Dinner: 5 - 10:30 PM, Sat: 5 - 11
10 PM
Pisciotta invited any resident wishing to Sunday: 5 - 10 PM
comment on SPURA’s ongoing urban design (UDSON3Ts
plan to e-mail C.B. 3 at info@cb3manhat- visit us at: www.acapella-restaurant.com
tan.org .
18 March 9 - 15, 2011 downtown express

Bed bugs Downtown digest

Continued from page 8
dance during the warmer months of July,
August and September. The bed bug
epidemic is particularly worsening in
densely packed urban areas such as New
York City.
“The more people you have, the more
bugs you have, because people are living
so close together,” explained White. “And
it’s easier for them to make a resurgence
each year as they get more and more
embedded in a community.”
Bed bug bites can cause a variety of
symptoms ranging from itchy skin welts
to more serious allergic reactions. The
skin irritations typically vanish in a few
Public demands cancer to be added
Continued from page 5
“Everyone at risk in this neighborhood
should have gotten questionnaires in the
mail annually,” said Dr. Dessau. “There
was no outreach for residents. There was
for first responders, but nothing for resi-
weeks’ time, but they can re-appear at a
later date.
Once a residence becomes infested,
the experts suggest immediate attention
from professionals and active monitoring
thereafter. Mattresses and other furniture
items unprotected by pest-repellent sprays
or wrapping material should be discarded
immediately.
“If you let it go on for a long time, it
turns into a bigger problem than low-level
infestation,” said White.
Once the bed bugs disappear, the
experts also advise victims to observe
their weekly lifestyle habits that could
be conducive to infestation. They suggest
rectifying behavior to keep the voracious
pests from returning.
major concern moving forward was acknowl-
edging the connection between the attacks
of 9/11 and the onset of cancer. According
to one speaker, there were roughly 500,000
light fixtures in the two towers that con-
tained Mercury, a known carcinogen.
“We know from Hiroshima, from the
toxic spill at Chernobyl, that you have to
Continued from page 3
ing the creation of a committee to provide
input on the task force’s proposals.
“The plans presented thus far have been
vague and inadequate,” said the letter. “As
elected officials representing the Lower
Manhattan community, we must have a seat
at the table when decisions about this matter
are made.”
The group, which would be made up of
elected officials such as Congressman Jerrold
Nadler, Assemblyman Sheldon Silver; and
other local representatives, would hold its
first meeting on April 15.
“It is our firm belief that meaningful com-
munity participation in the Lower Manhattan
visitor management plan will result in a
proposal that carefully balances the needs
of area residents and businesses with our
shared commitment to the Memorial,” the
letter said.
25TH SENATE DISTRICT
COMMUNITY CONVENTION
New York State Senator Daniel
Squadron is inviting community residents
to the 25th Senate District Community
Convention to share their views on issues
affecting the district. Previous community
conventions have helped Sen. Squadron
prioritize legislative issues and to consider
various solutions.
Participants will discuss many differ-
ent topics in small groups, where they will
have the opportunity to speak directly to
Squadron. The convention will be held on
Sunday, March 13 at St. Francis College
(180 Remsen Street in Brooklyn.) R.S.V.P.
to Rosemarie Diaz at (212) 298-5565 or
rdiaz@nysenate.gov
AFFORDABLE HOUSING SURVEY
In an effort to gather more information
about existing affordable housing units in the
community and better advocate for new ones,
Manhattan Community Board 1 is asking
residents of affordable housing to take a sur-
vey. The survey covers the Community Board
1 area, which takes in Lower Manhattan
below Canal Street. Anyone who lives in an
apartment that is rent controlled through
government programs is urged to fill out the
survey. To participate in the survey, call C.B.1
at (212) 442- 5050.

www.DOWNTOWNEXPRESS.com
dents in the area.” do a study,” said Dr. Dessau. “This was a
For Dr. Dessau, as well as many of the horrible incident. We might as well learn
numerous other speakers on Thursday, the from it.”

Trinity Wall Street Let’s do something together trinitywallstreet.org

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9
Ash Wednesday
Imposition of Ashes
Trinity Church, 7am–7pm
St. Paul’s Chapel, 8am–9pm
Liturgy of Ash Wednesday
Trinity Church, 12:05pm, 6pm
St. Paul’s Chapel, 12:30pm, 8pm
Watch live at trinitywallstreet.org
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1pm
Concerts at One
Maksim Shtrykov & Alina Kiryayeva,
clarinet and piano
Trinity Church
SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 4:30pm worship
Meditations on Civil Rights
Activists: Jonathan Daniels SUNDAY, 8am and 10am
St. Paul’s Chapel
Celebrate the lives of men and
An energetic celebration of
women of faith and courage with
Communion in the round.
stories, jazz, poetry, and prayers.
Sundays through April 10. SUNDAY, 9am and 11:15am
St. Paul’s Chapel Trinity Church
MONDAY, MARCH 14, 1pm Worship, preaching, and ceremony
The Broad Way in the best Anglican/Episcopal
tradition. Sunday school and
Discuss how the Gospels can
be interpreted and applied to child care available.
contemporary life. Bring lunch. MONDAY – FRIDAY, 12:05pm
74 Trinity Pl Trinity Church
Holy Eucharist
MONDAY, MARCH 14, 6pm
Reader’s Group THURSDAY, 5:15pm
Explore books in a welcoming All Saints’ Chapel
community. Currently reading inside Trinity Church
Let the Great World Spin Evening Prayer
by Colum McCann.
Leah Reddy

Watch online webcast

74 Trinity Pl, 3rd Fl, Room #1
TRINITY CHURCH
All Are Welcome STARTING MARCH 20, 8pm Broadway at Wall Street The Imposition of Ashes at St. Paul’s Chapel.

All events are free, Compline, every Sunday

unless otherwise noted.
trinitywallstreet.org · 212.602.0800
A half-hour candlelit service of
chant and new music, sung by
the Trinity Choir.
St. Paul’s Chapel
ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL
Broadway and Fulton Street
The Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, Rector
The Rev. Canon Anne Mallonee, Vicar
an Episcopal parish
in the city of New York
downtown express
B.P.C.A. promises reforms for parks officers
Continued from page 5
He was so scared he picked up the dog and
they followed him slowly in this vehicle. He
said the dog didn’t go to the bathroom. He
was so afraid, he went home.”
Dockett asked whether the problems
with the PEPs were occurring mostly at
night. A chorus of people in the room yelled
out, “Day and night!”
A Battery Park City resident, J. White,
commented that the problems were not
just with dogs. “My husband is disabled,”
she said. “We like to walk on the esplanade
during the day and on weekends. There are
bicycle riders, skateboards. I’ve spoken to
PEP officers and they’ve seen them, and
what they say to me is ‘Sorry, but we’re
going off duty.’ Or ‘I didn’t see that.’”
White continued that on one occasion she
was sitting on a bench with her 12-pound
dog, and said to a PEP officer, “‘Did you
see that bicycle that just went by?’ She said
no and kept walking, and then she turned
around and said to me, ‘You don’t have con-
trol of your dog!’ I talked to the supervisor. I
told him who it was. I went back to sit on the
bench and they sent another PEP officer to
watch me for 45 minutes. It happened about
a year ago and I do know that the woman is
still working here. I actually called 311 on
that because I was not satisfied.”
1\UPVY+P]PZPVU!.7+*5$'(6
March 9 - 15, 2011
“Did you get a response?” Dockett
asked.
“No,” said White. “I have an incident
number but no one ever called me back.”
“You’re not out there seeing these
people!” said Richard Balestrino, another
Battery Park City resident. “You’re dealing
with people who are really rude and arro-
gant. They walk by us like we’re murder-
ers, for God’s sake. We live here! If they
got to know us, we wouldn’t have these
situations in the first place.”
In response to complaints of this kind,
which surfaced in the aftermath of the
Adam Pratt episode, Gayle Horwitz said
that the Battery Park City Authority has
asked that all PEP personnel “undergo
additional training above and beyond the
enhanced training that they are already
provided. The Parks Department has
agreed to take that on and to provide
additional training. We’ve also instituted
a zero tolerance policy whereby any Parks
employee involved in any incident will be
removed from duty at Battery Park City
until such time as that incident has been
cleared. So while it’s under investigation,
that individual will be moved to another
location. We have no tolerance for anyone
who’s not working with the best interests
of the community in mind.”
Horwitz also said that the B.P.C.A.
is reviewing its contract with the Parks
BD<<4A
5D=
'2:172:1
6WLU/V\ZL+H[LZ!
0DUFKWK$SULOWK
Department “in light of the fact that the
community has grown significantly and
the issues have changed and evolved over
the years.”
She said she would like to ask the
committee for its input on parks enforce-
ment services. “I’d like to work with the
If they got to know us,
we wouldn’t have these
situations in the first place.
— Richard Balestrino
community to explore what you need,”
she said. She asked that someone from
the committee be designated to work with
the Authority. Jeff Galloway has agreed to
assume that role.
“Finally,” said Horwitz, “I’m institut-
ing a quarterly town meeting with me and
the Authority staff, including our Parks
Conservancy. The PEP relationship will be
on the agenda at every meeting plus other
issues.”
Adam Pratt was present at that Battery
Park City Committee meeting although he
:LUPVY+P]PZPVU!7+7+*5$'(6

19
said nothing and some in the room may not
have been aware of who he was.
“I was very comforted by the over-
whelming support of the Battery Park City
community that was expressed at the meet-
ing,” he said by e-mail afterward.
He went on to say that when he leaves
the building where he lives, “I am always
followed by one or two PEP officers and
have continued to video/document their
actions and lack of following procedures.
Ms. Horowitz’ ‘zero tolerance’ policy is
not being followed.”
Vince Smith, owner of the Vince Smith
Hair Experience on South End Avenue,
who was one of the witnesses to what
happened to Pratt on January 29, corrobo-
rated Pratt’s statement. “Adam stops by
the salon sometimes in the evenings to say
hi,” he said, “and when I go outside to say
hello to him, I see the Parks Department
police following him. They’re a matter of
feet behind him. I’ve seen them wait out-
side for him when he comes in here. He’s
scared, and a lot of other residents are
scared to go outside in Battery Park City.”
Smith went on to say, “I’ve been here
20 years and have never had a problem
with the police. It’s generally comforting
for a business owner to know how much
security there is in Battery Park City, but
that would be if they were doing their job
properly.”
12:.WK*5$'(
56935HTXHVWHG
(>PKL=HYPL[`6M.YLH[(J[P]P[PLZ 6MMLYPUN+PMMLYLU[*HTWZ
‡3ULYDWH3RRO ‡$UWV &UDIWV *HQHUDO&DPS‡
‡)LHOG6SRUWV ‡'UXPPLQJ &RPSXWHU&DPS‡
‡3LHU ‡0RYHPHQW %HOOHD\UH0RXQWDLQ6OHHS$ZD\‡
‡.DUDWH ‡6WRU\3LUDWHV 0XVLFDO7KHDWHU&DPSZLWK7$'$‡
‡7HQQLV ‡)LHOG7ULSV

>HYYLU:[YLL[;YPILJHc_c^^^KV^U[V^UKH`JHTWZJVT %XV6HUYLFH,V$YDLODEOH
20 March 9 - 15, 2011 downtown express

Man sues city for $30 million

for wrongful, 18-year jailing
BY JEFFERSON SIEGEL
Twenty years ago, a fight that took place
in the Marc Ballroom on Union Square
would forever change the life of Fernando

'6/,
-"5*/
406-
1"35: Bermudez.
Bermudez, then 22, was not in the club
that night. He had spent the evening driving
BU
UIF
GBCVMPVT
4"/504
1"35:
)064& around the city with friends, going to dinner
and ending up at the South St. Seaport.
As Bermudez and his friends enjoyed
TQJOOJOH
CZ
%+

.VTJDJBO
3&/&
-01&;
their night out, a fight between two men
broke out inside the nightclub. Shortly after

-BGBZFUUF
4USFFU

8FEOFTEBZ

"QSJM





o

QN Raymond Blount hit Efrain Lopez in the
face, Blount left the club with some friends.
Another man, who followed them down the
street, pulled out a gun and killed Blount.
Bermudez was convicted of the murder and
spent the next 18 years in jail for a crime he
didn’t commit.
UP
QVSDIBTF
UJDLFUT At an emotional press conference last
Wednesday, Bermudez stood flanked by his

lawyers as they announced a $30 million
lawsuit against New York City, charging
Photo by Jefferson Siegel

Fernando Bermudez at last week’s press

prosecutorial misconduct.
XXXDIVSDITUSFFUTDIPPMPSH “What’s 18 years of the price of a
man’s life worth?” asked attorney Michael
Lamonsoff, who is representing Bermudez in
the suit, which charges that the Manhattan
$)63$)
453&&5
4$)00-
'03
.64*$
"/%
"35 District Attorney’s Office and detectives
from Greenwich Village’s Sixth Precinct
wrongfully prosecuted the case.
Bermudez, wearing a crisp white shirt
and with his hands clasped in front of
WE DO PASSPORT PHOTOS him, looked by turns somber, angry and
frustrated as Lamonsoff outlined a litany
of problems with the original case. The suit
claims a failure to investigate leads, witness
coercion, failure to turn over documents to
the defense and false testimony by detec-
tives and an assistant district attorney.
conference announcing his lawsuit.
those charges were dropped.
In November 2009, 18 years after the
shooting, Supreme Court Justice John
Cataldo dismissed the charges against
Bermudez. In his 79-page decision, Cataldo
ruled Bermudez’s rights were violated by
police misconduct in the effort to ID the
killer. The judge also criticized the pros-
ecution for failing to recognize that Efraim
Lopez, one of their key witnesses, testified
falsely.
As Lamonsoff continued to outline the
details of the case gone horribly wrong,
Bermudez’s wife, Crystal, and two of their
three children — Carissa, 9, and Fernando,

WE PACK AND SHIP “It’s been a very long and bitter strug-
gle,” Bermudez said, noting there were
5 — watched from the front row.
“I’m still experiencing anxiety related

ART, ANTIQUES &

times in prison when “it felt like I was less to my incarceration,” Bermudez said. “I’m
than human. What happened to me should still getting used to the expansion of the

FURNITURE
not happen to anyone.” world.” Bermudez is back in college, work-
“It’s indisputable they had evidence ing toward a B.A. in behavioral science. He
who the real shooter was from the very is also a guest speaker at schools, where he

Both Domestic & beginning,” Lamonsoff said. Asked why

police and D.A. would ignore that evidence,
describes his travails in the justice system.
In an unusual scene, at the emotional

International Lamonsoff said he didn’t want to speculate

on their motivation.
A year after Bermudez’s 1992 convic-
tion, five prosecution witnesses recanted
their testimony, claiming coercion by pros-
ecutors and police. Despite the lack of any
physical evidence, prosecutors continued to
maintain Bermudez was the killer.
In one telling affidavit filed a year after
295 Greenwich St. (corner of Chambers Street) the conviction, Jamie Velasquez, who was
New York, NY 10007 in the vicinity that night when he heard the
Discount Tel. 964-5528 Fax. 964-5530
shots, recalled several of his friends “get-
ting rushed” by about 30 others. He then
coupons at admitted, “I mistakenly identified Fernando
MON. – FRI.– 8:00AM – 7:00PM
mbetribeca.com Bermudez at trial. He is definitely not the
SATURDAY – 10:00AM – 5:00PM person I saw crossing University [Place]
SUNDAY – 11:00AM – 4:00PM
ure with a link [gold chain] and a weapon.”
MBE Centers are individually owned and operated franchises. Sec ment Lamonsoff claimed that “witnesses were
cu g
Do eddin
Most major credit cards accepted. Valid at participating locations. suggestively coerced” because of other out-
Restrictions may apply. Copyright Mailboxes Etc., 2011. r standing charges against them. Once they
Sh wrongly identified Bermudez as the shooter,
press conference’s conclusion, the room-
ful of journalists stood and applauded
Bermudez.
Bermudez was prosecuted by the
office of longtime Manhattan D.A. Robert
Morgenthau. A spokesperson for current
Manhattan D.A. Cy Vance Jr. declined com-
ment, citing the lawsuit.
Last March, Vance announced the
establishment of the Conviction Integrity
Program. The initiative is intended to pre-
vent wrongful convictions and address
claims of innocence.
“The criminal justice system is subject
to human error and thus can be fallible,”
Vance said in announcing the program.
On Friday, a spokesperson for the city’s
Law Department, asked for comment on
Bermudez’s suit, said, “We have received
the legal papers in this matter and are
reviewing them thoroughly.”
downtown express
L.M.D.C. to vote on cuts
Continued from page 1
and their need for reimbursement for ser-
vices performed post 9/11, which to date
has been resolved. And the final goal the
agency has met, according to Davidson, is
the allocation of the funds from the two
Community Development Block Grants from
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, totaling $2.783 billion.
“It’s time to say, ‘job well done, but job is
over,’” said Davidson.
The agency to date still has $700 million
in funds, but Davidson said that sum has
already been allocated to a variety of pro-
grams throughout Lower Manhattan, such
as the W.T.C. Memorial, W.T.C. Performing
Arts Center, the East River Esplanade,
Transportation, Affordable Housing, and
Economic Development.
Davidson said the remaining staff would
serve the sole purpose of overseeing the
allocation of the $700 million.
“We take very strongly the fiduciary
responsibilities we have for overseeing
the federal funds,” said Davidson. “Every
grant that goes out requires a great deal of
work.”
Under the guidelines established by
H.U.D. every grant released by the L.M.D.C.
has to be monitored for three years. A
pool of $17 million, for example, has been
earmarked for cultural and community
enhancement. The Request for Proposals for
those funds was issued by the agency last
year and over 255 different organizations
applied.
Julie Menin, chair of Community Board
1, sits on the L.M.D.C. board and is one of
Pols fight for seniors
Continued from page 1
shift in Albany as one reason the centers are
once again being put on the chopping block.
“Social services do suffer when the
Democrats are not in the majority,” said
Squadron.
Within days of the announcement of
the proposed cuts, the consensus revenue
forecast, an updated projection of revenue
coming into the state for the next fiscal year,
found an additional $155 million in revenue
not reflected in the original budget forecast.
“All we need is $16 million to save
105 senior centers in New York City,” said
Squadron.
That’s a “small” fraction, according to
Squadron, of the additional money that was
uncovered; it is roughly ten percent of the
newfound revenue.
While it’s tough to predict exactly how
many seniors would be affected by the
cuts, in the case of University Settlement
Nutrition, the cuts could mean clos-
ing its doors and stopping all service to
750 seniors who use the center for daily
food, case assistance on all matters of
March 9 - 15, 2011 21
six people who will oversee the allocation of
those funds. She has long been pushing for
the agency to decide on a sunset plan, but also
acknowledges the work involved in assessing
grant applications. She said the L.M.D.C. staff
went through the applications to eliminate any
organization that did not meet the criteria and
now there is a “master list.”
“The top priority now is to get the money
out without any delay,” said Menin.
But to Davidson’s point, doling out the
funds does not mean the end of the agency.
“Every allocation is board approved,”
said Davidson, “and is subject to certain
conditions. That’s why we will have to con-
tinue to have staff on board.”
A recent column in the New York Post
by Steve Cassidy, city fire-union president,
suggested that some of the L.M.D.C. money
be allocated for emergency services in lieu of
looming budget cuts to the city’s fire depart-
ments. Davidson however acknowledged
that such a scenario does not fall under the
purview of the Proposed Action Plan out-
lined by H.U.D.
If the L.M.D.C. were to reallocate funds
for security concerns, the L.M.D.C. would
have to reduce allocations from programs
such as Performing Arts Center and the
West Thames Bridge, a scenario that does
not sit well with local community elected
officials.
“The Lower Manhattan Development
Corporation was created to help our neigh-
borhood recover from the devastation of
9/11,” said State Assembly Speaker Sheldon
Silver. “The remaining funds should be spent
in a way that strengthens and continues to
rebuild our community, which is still feeling
the effects of that tragedy.”
basic living, recreation, social network-
ing, emotional support during crises and
transitions, and support for their extend-
5 weeks, 50 useful phrases, just $250!
ed families. Another 180 homebound
seniors who receive daily meals and have Basic Conversational or Business Chinese Courses
relationships with staff serve as a direct at the Confucius Institute at Pace University
line of communication for more than just
nutrition. An additional 125 seniors who ❖ Courses meet twice a week, for one hour, in the evenings, or
attend the Bowery Resident’s Committee’s
senior center on Delancey Street every
once a week for two hours on Saturday mornings.
day have their meals provided to them ❖ Conveniently located at 41 Park Row near City Hall.
by University Settlement since the B.R.C.
center does not have a kitchen. ❖ Classes are offered all year long and begin March 21, 2011
“These senior centers are home to some
of the proudest and tenacious members of To learn more or sign up today.
our community. Cutting funds for seniors
severs a lifeline to integral health care, nutri- Email ci@pace.edu
tion, and counseling services,” stated Chin. or call (212) 386-1880.
And as for her own district, the coun-
cilmember noted, “In District 1, these cuts
disproportionately affect centers that serve www.pace.edu/confucius
Asian-American, immigrant, and other
underserved minority populations. It is
because of this community’s widespread 5IF
$POGVDJVT
*OTUJUVUF


dependency on senior centers that we face BU
1BDF
6OJWFSTJUZ
such a high number of potential closures. It
is textbook cutting services to those who rely
on them the most.”
22
PURIM AT THE CIRCUS This fun, festive event will feature
a Chinese acrobat show, Megillah reading and more. Dress up
and receive a prize! Sun., March 20, 3pm. At P.S. 89 (201 Warren
St.). Admission: Free! For info, call 646-770-3636 or email info@
chabadbpc.com.
PURIM FESTIVITIES The 14th Street Y and Storahtelling
present “Esther’s Crown” — an interactive Purim play and
costume parade for kids. The show is part of StorahSteps
(a program featuring monthly events that fuse storytelling,
performing arts and education to help young Jewish children
and their families better relate to their cultural heritage).
Later, partake in the Purim Carnival — where children will
have a chance to make mishloach manot bags (traditional
food baskets) and enjoy live music, costumes and snacks.
Recommended for kids 2-6. “Esther’s Crown” will begin at
11am, and the Purim Carnival runs from 12-2pm. Sun., March
20. At the 14th Street Y (344 E. 14th St.) Tickets for each of
these two separate events are $5 per ($20 per family). Call
212-780-0800 or visit 14StreetY.org or visit storahtelling.org.
THE PAPER BAG PLAYERS “The Paper Bag Players
Whoop-Dee-Doo!” features a brand new lineup of songs,
dances, costumes and stories that will get everyone involved.
Also new: a game show called “Whoop-de-doo” that will
have everyone playing along. Recommended for children
ages 3-8 — but the show is sure to delight the entire fam-
ily. 11:30am and 1:30pm on Sun., March 13. At the Tribeca
Performing Arts Center (199 Chambers St.). For tickets ($25),
call 212-220-1460.
BRING YOUR OWN KID You’re never too young to boogie.
Every Sunday at 11am, the 92YTribeca puts a new spin on
family entertainment when it opens its doors to young kids
as part of its B.Y.O.K (Bring Your Own Kid) series — which
features live performances by children’s bands and enter-
tainers. Recommended for children under 6. March 13, join
children’s songwriter and music educator Vanessa Trien and
the “Nessa Groupie” — whose folksy but lively songs fea-
ture the sounds of blues, pop, bluegrass, acoustic folk, coun-
try and ’50s rock ’n’ roll. At 92YTribeca (200 Hudson St.) For
tickets, ($15, free for children under 2) call 212-601-1000 or
visit 92YTribeca.org
EARTH CELEBRATIONS PUPPET & COSTUME WORK-
SHOPS As concerns about global warming and the environ-
ment continue to mount, Earth Celebrations is hoping to use
Moving Visions’ Murray Street Studio
A Wise Choice for your child’s dance education!
Dance for Children and Teens
• Modern Ballet (ages 5-18) • Choreography (ages 8 & up)
• Creative Movement/Pre-Ballet (ages 3-5)
ADULT CLASSES Yoga - Tai Chi • Chi/Dance/Exercise for Women
19 Murray St., 3rd Fl.
(Bet. Broadway and Church)
March 9 - 15, 2011
On March 12, Bo Eason dreams big: “Runt of the Litter”
RUNT OF THE LITTER
Take the whole family to enjoy this
heartwarming one-man performance
about a young man’s dream of playing
professional football. Written and acted
by Bo Eason, this work — with its clas-
sic American themes of family, competi-
tion and dreaming big — will be a hit
with sports lovers and non-fans alike.
Sat., March 12, 1:30pm. At the Tribeca
art to address some of these issues. In several workshops,
both teens and adults will draw inspiration from the diverse
marine species and habitats of the Hudson River to create
costumes and giant puppets for the upcoming Hudson River
Pageant. Costume workshops with artist Soule Golden:
Weds., 6-9pm. Puppet workshops with artist Lucrecia Novoa:
Sats. 12-4pm. Admission: Free. At the Church Street School
for Music and Art (74 Warren St.), Through May 18.. Hudson
River Pageant will take place on May 21.
212-608-7681 (day)
www.murraystreetdance.com
YOUTH
ACTIVITIES
Photo courtesy of TPAC
Performing Arts Center (199 Chambers
St.). Tickets are $25 — but with the pur-
chase of a 10Club membership (a $140
10-ticket package), you’ll save more than
$100 and also receive a discount with sev-
eral of their neighborhood partners just by
showing the membership card. The TPAC
season continues with the Tall Stories of
London production “Room on the Broom”
at 1:30pm on Sat., April 16. For info, visit
tribecapac.org or call 212-2320-1460.
NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FESTI-
VAL See a variety of original groundbreaking work at the
nation’s largest festival for kids and teens — a four-week
event for kids 3-18 that features 100 new films, galas and
filmmaking workshops (among other activities). The festival
will draw from a variety of influences, with premieres of fea-
ture films from countries as far away as New Zealand and
Hong Kong. Kids will also have the opportunity to participate
in special events — including a Green Screen workshop,
where they can learn the secrets of special effects; and
a Music & Sound in Film workshop, in which the audience
will help to score a short film. Screenings will be shown in
six locations (Asia Society and Museum, Cantor Film Center,
DGA Theater, IFC Center, Scholastic Theater and Symphony
Space) through March 27. For schedule and ticket info, visit
www.gkids.com.
BIRD BRAIN Hat Street is a place controlled by rules and
regulations, and for those living there following these rules
is just part of life. When a hard-working man happens upon
baby birds in the forest, he becomes enchanted with their
song and gives them shelter under his hat. This makes it
difficult to abide with Hat Street’s Golden Rule: to always
remove your hat in the presence of others. When the Queen
comes along and he can’t doff his hat even to her he faces a
dilemma: will he follow the rules…or follow his heart? Sats.,
2pm and Suns., 12 pm starting March 13. At The Drilling
Company (236 W. 78th St, 3rd fl.). For tickets ($15 for adults,
$12 for kids), call 212-868-4444.
downtown express
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE ARTS Explore painting,
collage and sculpture through self-guided arts projects. Open
art stations are ongoing throughout the afternoon — giving
children the opportunity to experiment with materials such
as paint, clay, fabric, paper and found objects. Young minds
can be great minds — and great minds, as they say, often
think alike. See for yourself when you view “Art Within
Reach: from the WPA to the Present” — on display now
through June 5. This intergenerational exhibit connects the
artistic and intellectual dots between those who grew up in
NYC during the Great Depression and those who are grow-
ing up in the city today. Museum hours: Wed.-Sun., 12-5pm;
Thurs., 12-6pm (Pay as You Wish, from 4-6pm). Admission:
$10. At the Children’s Museum of the Arts (182 Lafayette St.
btw. Broome & Grand). Call 212-274-0986 or visit cmany.org.
For group tours, call 212-274-0986, ext. 31.
THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE MUSEUM The Junior Offi-
cers Discovery Zone is an exhibit designed for ages 2-10. It’s
divided into four areas (Police Academy; the Park and Pre-
cinct; Emergency Services Unit; and a Multi-Purpose Area),
each with interactive and imaginary play experiences for
children to understand the role of police officers in our com-
munity — by, among other things, driving and taking care of
a police car. For older children, there’s a crime scene obser-
vation activity that will challenge them to remember relevant
parts of city street scenes; a physical challenge similar to
those at the Police Academy; and a model Emergency Ser-
vices Unit vehicle where children can climb in, use the steer-
ing wheel and lights, hear radio calls with police codes and
see some of the actual equipment carried by The Emergency
Services Unit. At 100 Old Slip. For info, call 212-480-3100 or
visit www.nycpm.org. Hours: Mon. through Sat., 10am-5pm
and Sun., noon-5pm. Admission: $8 ($5 for students, seniors
and children. Free for children under 2.
PRESCHOOL PLAY AND STORIES & SONGS A new
session of “Preschool Play” has been added: This program
invites walking toddlers to join other children, parents,
and caregivers for fun interactive play, art and theme days.
Thursdays, through March 24, from 1:30-3:30pm. The fee is
$175 for 10 weeks (siblings: $100). At “Stories & Songs,” a
variety of musicians teach and perform child-friendly music.
Movement, dancing and rhythm instruments add to the fun.
Mondays, through April 25 (except 1/17 and 2/21) as well as
on Wednesdays, through April 13. Space is still available in
40-minute classes: the 9:30-10:10am class for children 6-14
months — and the 12 noon-12:40pm class for mixed ages (6
months to 3.5 years). There is a $231 fee for 14 weeks (20%
discount for siblings). Both events take place in the Meeting
Room at the Verdesian (211 North End Ave., btw. Warren &
Murray, in Battery Park City). For info or to register, call 212-
267-9700, ext. 366 or 348. Visit bpcparks.org.
SATURDAY AFTERNOONS AT THE SCHOLASTIC
STORE Every Saturday at 3pm, Scholastic’s in-store activi-
ties are designed to get kids reading, thinking, talking, cre-
ating and moving. The Scholastic Store is located at 557
Broadway (btw. Prince & Spring). Store hours are Mon.-Sat.,
10am-7pm, and Sun.,11am-6pm. For info about store events,
call 212-343-6166. Visit scholastic.com.
POETS HOUSE The Poets House “Tiny Poets Time” pro-
gram offers children ages 1-3 and their parents a chance to
enter the world of rhyme — through readings, group activi-
ties and interactive performances. Thursdays at 10am (at
10 River Terrace and Murray St.). Call 212-431-7920 or visit
poetshouse.org.
0WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR EVENT LISTED IN
THE DOWNTOWN EXPRESS? Listing requests may be
sent to scott@downtownexpress.com. Please provide the
date, time, location, price and a description of the event.
Information may also be mailed to 145 Avenue of the Ameri-
cas, New York, NY 10013-1548. Requests must be received
at least three weeks before the event. Questions? Call 646-
452-2497.
downtown express
DOWNTOWNEXPRESSARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
When we were kings
Two actors, in modern attire, portray crucial clash
THEATER
KINGS: THE SIEGE OF TROY
Adapted by Christopher Logue
Adapted for the stage and directed by James
Milton
Through April 3
At the Workshop Theater
312 W. 36th St., btw. 8th & 9th Aves., 4th
floor)
For tickets, call 212-868-4444 or visit work-
shoptheater.org
BY JERRY TALLMER
Was this the face that launch’d a thou-
sand ships,
And burnt the topless towers Ilium?
Helen, that is, daughter of Zeus, an
Olympus-class beauty, stolen away from hus-
band Menelaos of Greece by Paris, spoiled
playboy son of old King Priam of Troy.
“No,” says “Kings” director James Milton
— revoking Marlowe’s 500-year-old poetic
license, “Helen was just an excuse” for the
huge disastrous assault on Priam’s walled
stronghold, and those thousand warships
sailing toward Ilium were actually full of
ravenous Greeks “hungry for Trojan land,
for Trojan property.”
And oh yes, hungry also for Trojan
women — another form of pirated property,
as serviceable and disposable as paper cups
or Kleenex. Women as bargaining chips. Of
so little actual human value that, in British
poet Christopher Logue’s startlingly tough
reworking of Homer’s Iliad (adapted for the
stage by Jim Milton), the word for “woman”
is always merely a flat, jarring “she.” Like
this, in the crucial clash over sexual booty
between those two great egomaniac Greek
heroes, Agamemnon and Achilles:
….Until Achilles said:
‘Dear sir, where shall we get this she?
There is no pool.
We land. We fight. We kill. We load. And
then —
After your firstlings — we allot.
We do not ask things back’.
‘Boy Achilles,’ Agamemnon said,
‘I do not ask at all.
Myself un-she’d and in the bed furs,
thine?
Ditchmud!’
March 9 - 15, 2011 23
enough, too, for hard-hitting Logue (born
1926 in Portsmouth, Hampshire) to have
been working on this Variations on a Theme
by Homer for going on 50 years now.
Playing all the roles, in modern everyday
attire, are actors Dana Watkins and J. Eric
Cook.
There are all sorts of slaps in the face.
Here is one of the more enjoyable ones:
[Achilles still talking]
‘Well then, my lord,
You change the terms, I change the
tense.
Let is be was. Was the day on which
You lead your Greeks, necklaced with
spoil,
Capering along the road that tops Troy’s
wall
Because you cannot take that wall with-
out me.
Me. Peleus’ son.
Before tomorrow, I sail home. ‘
Photo by Jonathan Slaff
Dana Watkins (left) and J. Eric Cook. Continued on page 25
“Basically,” says Milton, “this section is a
prelude to the big fight between Agamemnon
and Achilles. Except that the gods can’t kill
Agamemnon yet because he has to die at
home in the bathtub, murdered by his wife
Clytemnestra and her boyfriend. Leaving
Achilles to sulk alone in his tent.”
In that era, Milton reminds us, “Rape was
so common as to be hardly worth mention-
ing. In fact I had to tone down some pas-
sages, the language was so offensive.
“Greece was then still a tribal society, and
each tribe had its own king. One thinks of
the ancient Greeks as the people who built
the Parthenon and all that. These were not
those Greeks. My job was to make the best
possible stage show out of this very long
poem.”
Here, for laughter, is a thumbnail portrait
of one such tribal king: Zeus, king of the
gods, talking:
Priam of fountained Troy,
A stallion man — once taken for myself
—
Who serviced 50 strapping wives from
50 towns,
Without complaint — to unify my
Ilium…
New York will get a rare slap in the face
jolt of Homer-via-Logue-via-Milton from
“Kings. “It is considered important enough
for three poetry-minded theater compa-
nies — the Handcart Ensemble, the Verse
Theater Manhattan and the WorkShop — to
join together in its presentation. Important
24 March 9 - 15, 2011 downtown express

Thai Filmmaker Talks Turkey

“Uncle Boonmee” director recalls past, plans future
BY GARY M. KRAMER
Gay Thai filmmaker Apichatpong
Weerasethakul’s Cannes award-winning film
“Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past
Lives” concerns a dying man who is com-
forted by family and friends. As the film
unfolds in six chapters, Boonmee (Thanapat
Saisaymar) recalls his various incarnations
— as animals, including a talking catfish,
and as spirits.
The film does not contain any queer con-
tent, but it is as infectious and hypnotic as
the filmmaker’s 2004 gay romance “Tropical
Malady.” And despite the many fantastic ele-
ments in “Uncle Boonmee,” the film is quite
accessible.
Weerasethakul met with us to discuss his
superb and supernatural films.
GARY KRAMER: I’m curious about
your past lives. Do you feel believe in rein-
carnation? Do you have any memories or
knowledge of a past life?
APICHATPONG WEERASETHAKUL:
I have reached through, but I believe it’s sci-
entific — a natural, not supernatural thing.
It’s something that I think in the future we
will need an instrument to prove it. I cannot
say I believe, but I would say I believe in the
possibility of the future to dream about it.
ASK FOR
DAILY
FILM
UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN
RECALL HIS PAST LIVES
Written & Directed by Apichatpong
Weerasethakul.
Not Rated. 2010. 113 minutes.
In Thai, with English subtitles.
Through March 15 at Film Forum
(209 W. Houston St., W. of 6th Ave.)
Screenings daily at 1pm, 3:15pm,
5:40pm, 7:50pm, 10pm.
For info, call 212-727-8110 or
visit filmforum.org.
GMK: So, do you believe in karma?
AW: I don’t believe in karma, but it’s in
my system. I cannot shake it off. I always
keep it simple. In Thailand, the head is
very sacred and the feet are least sacred. If
someone is sitting over there [points] and if
I do this [he points his feet at them] it’s con-
sidered very rude. And when I do that, I feel
HOMEMADE MACARONI
Ravioli 11.00
Baked Ziti
Lasagna
11.00
11.75
guilty, even though I know it is nonsense.
GMK: You are a gay man, but you don’t
make gay films. “Tropical Malady” is perhaps
the sole exception. Is this deliberate?
AW: I feel homosexuality is natural. I
don’t feel I need to underline it. You don’t
need to act up or make homosexuality
special. I am just talking about humans in
“Tropical Malady.” When there is a scene
where a guy is seduced by another guy, I just
treat it naturally. That is my approach in life
as well.
GMK: Your films are known for their
shift in their tone. “Uncle Boonmee” has
six distinct chapters. Why do you play with
narrative — dividing your films in half,
like “Tropical Malady,” or juxtaposing two
lives, as in “Syndromes and a Century”? In
“Blissfully Yours,” you interrupt the film 45
minutes in with a credit sequence.
AW: I am very sensitive about this kind
of disruption in movies. How do you make
the audiences feel comfortable? I don’t like
when the movie makes you feel the filmmak-
er is above you. I want my movie to be like
I’m beside you, and I’m holding your hand,
and we go to the jungle or this strange world Photo courtesy of Oscilliscope Laboratories
together. This certain kind of gentleness is Apichatpong Weerasethakul, writer and
what I am looking for. director of “Uncle Boonmee Who Can
And when you do this, it’s very tricky. Recall His Past Lives.”
It can be viewed as pretentious, or just
put there for the sake of experimentation between the visible and ghosts around us.
or shock, but for me, that’s not my inten- Reality is different, so how I present the film
tion. My intention is to integrate how the
film can convey my feelings the best. And
is different.

SPECIALS HOT HERO SANDWICHES

I think that’s the limitation of mainstream
cinema.
GMK: What was your reaction to win-
ning the Palme d’Or in Cannes?
~ Free Delivery Chicken Parmigiana 8.75 Cinema is only 100 years old, and there is AW: When I won the prize in Cannes,
Chicken Cutlet 8.75
($7.00 Minimum) ~ more room to grow, but now, special effects it was unexpected, and in Thailand, it’s big
Sausage & Peppers 8.75
Potato & Egg 8.75 are very advanced — more advanced than news. They not only asked me about my film,
Eggplant Parmigiana 8.75 storytelling. The script-writing part is still but my political point of view. And that has a
PIZZA PIES Meatball Parmigiana
Veal Cutlet Parmigiana
8.75
10.00
attached to the three-part structure, to litera- great effect for me. I have to travel for a year
Neapolitan 16.75 Grilled Marinated Chicken 8.75 ture. Film has its own representation that we with this film — without working — so it’s
Sicilian 12 slices 25.00 Chicken, Mozzarella & Lemon 8.75 need to explore. been quite an adjustment.
Chicago 16.75 Italian Philly Cheese Steak 8.75
Small Neapolitan 13.00 GMK: What about the symbolism in GMK: So how did making “Uncle
Mini Pie 7.50 “Uncle Boonmee,” which is left up to the Boonmee” help you grow?
LARGE SELECTION OF TOPPINGS 3.75 Each
HOT PLATES viewer for interpretation? AW: I think I make small, personal films,
DAILY SPECIALTY PIES CHICKEN AW: There are many references and so I’m always making the same film. What
Eggplant Parmigiana 13.00 meanings, so I feel it’s awkward for me to changed me is that I got more interested in
(CALL FOR PRICE)
Chicken Parmigiana 13.00
Chicken Marsala 14.00 explain. Sometimes it’s very deep rooted in the northeast region of Thailand. I’d like to
CALZONES 6.50 topping 1.75 Chicken Francaise 14.00 Thai [lore]. I really prefer the idea of open set my next film there because there are so
Chicken Sorrentino 14.00 cinema, for people to interpret themselves. many things to explore. I hope to go in a
SALADS VEAL It’s really about the experience. It’s not about new direction. When you work on a certain
House Salad 6.50 Veal Milanese or Parmigiana 14.75 my experience. I have my movie. I offer the formula, like what I did before with bifurca-
Caesar Salad 12.00 Veal Marsala 14.75 movie so you can have your own movie, too. tion, it is like a trap, so I feel I shouldn’t put
Grilled Chicken 10.00 ROLATINI
Chicken Rolatini 14.75 I feel hesitant about it. Of course, there is a myself in this. I should explore.
Spinach Salad 5.75/8.50 symbolism at play in contrast to the realistic
Greek Salad 5.75/8.50
SEAFOOD
Fried Calamari (appetizer 10.00) 15.00 representation. GMK: Given that you make small, inti-
Pasta Salad 5.75/8.50
Shrimp Scampi 15.00 mate art films, what do you like to watch?
Caesar with Chicken 7.50/10.00 Calamari & Linguini (red sauce) 15.00 GMK: Why do you juxtapose magical AW: Hollywood disaster and catastro-
SELECTION OF APPETIZERS, Grilled Salmon 15.00 realism with the realities of nature and phe films. I like special effects — they are
SOUPS & SIDES (see full menu) * Prices may vary man? marvelous. I liked “Inception” and “2012.”
AW: Because sometimes it’s a fact in These kinds of films have to be seen on
We Specialize in Catering Thailand, even though some things are in the a big screen, so you can appreciate how
Let us cater your next party — Your place or ours past and gone — the same thing as when I many people put so much labor into ten
say, “My time is not your time.” My movie is seconds of the film. They dictate how we
'REENWICH3Ts212-732-5959 212-941-9163 not your movie. My reality is different from make movies, and how they become really
-ON
7EDAM
PMs4HUR
3UNPM
AM your reality. There is a sense of coexistence magical.
downtown express
Just Do Art!
COMPILED BY SCOTT STIFFLER
THEATER: MOTHER OF GOD!
You don’t have to be Jewish to be Christian
— but it wouldn’t hurt! That seemingly con-
tradictory conundrum is our own boiled
down essence of the play “Mother of God!”
— so direct your angry missives to us, not
the producers. Jewish mother and playwright
Michele A. Miller’s world premiere produc-
tion positions the conception and birth of
Jesus Christ as a Jewish tale. Explains Miller,
“There were no Christians before Christ
was born. Mary, Joseph, Hannah (Mary’s
mother), Joaquim (her father) and Elizabeth
(mother of John the Baptist) — characters
in my play — were all Jews living in the
Jewish homeland, and this is their story,
their dilemma, as Jews.” Discuss amongst
yourselves. March 10-26, at the Richmond
Shepard Theatre (309 E. 26th St.). Wed.-
Sat. at 8pm, Sun. at 3pm. For tickets ($18,
$15 for students/seniors), theatermania.com
or 866-811-4111.
HUDSON GUILD THEATRE COMPANY
Justice is blind…and deaf, and dumb
and more than a little stupid. Hudson Guild
Theatre Company explores this downside to
our legal system with two plays, in reper-
tory, about the miscarriage of justice. Set
in colonial Malaysia in the 1930s, Somerset
Maugham’s “The Letter” tells the story of a
woman who is tried for murder and acquit-
ted because her lawyer purchases a piece of
incriminating evidence in order to prevent
the prosecution from seeing it. Jessica
Blank and Erik Jensen’s “The Exonerated”
is a docudrama which shifts between first-
person monologues and prison/courtroom
When we were kings
Continued from page 23
Silence.
Reverse the shot.
The kicker, of course, is in that throw-
away last line, as if on a movie set, an anach-
ronism if ever there was one.
“But everyone will immediately know
exactly what is meant,” says Milton.
Though “Kings” was and is written as a
poem, not a play, Logue has also done a
number of film and television scripts and
was one of the poets commissioned by the
BBC in the 1950s to reinvent the Iliad in
their own style.
“Kings” is but one of four linked works
intended to be read as books. The other
three are “War Music,” “The Husbands” and
“All Day Permanent Red.” Logue — who
is not afraid of rewriting--has altered and
republished several of them.
What kind of fellow is he, anyway, this
Christopher Logue?
“Well, he’s not tall,” says Milton, who
March 9 - 15, 2011 25
trip to St. Louis — The New York Pops winner Heather Headley; and “West Side
fondly (fawningly?) recall Judy Garland Story” star Karen Olivo. Among the selec-
with a song-for-song re-creation of the tions you just may know by heart: “Over
1961 performance referred to by so many the Rainbow,” that above-mentioned trol-
as “the greatest night in show business ley song, “Come Rain or Come Shine”
history.” That’s a high bar indeed for and “The Man That Got Away.” Fri.,
the performing artists on this bill — but March 11, 8pm, at Carnegie Hall (57th
they’ll be given able assistance from Music St. & 7th Ave.). Tickets are $33 to $106.
Director Steven Reineke, who’ll be wield- Subscriptions to the 2010-2011 Carnegie
ing the baton. Among the promising talent Hall are $145, $165, $210, $350, $460,
likely to make this a night to remember $510. Visit the Carnegie Hall Box Office
in its own right: Lorna Luft; Broadway or call 212-247-7800. For more info, car-
luminary Ashley Brown; Grammy Award negiehall.org.
TRIBECA DENTAL
For the Whole Family
General Dentistry & CosmeticDentistry + Implants
Photo courtesy of Carnegie Hall
Bleaching + Orthodontics
Judy, Judy, Judy: NY Pops celebrate the Dr. Martin Gottlieb
life, the legend. Dr. Raphael Santore
scenes to tell the story of six people sent to Dr. Reena Clarkson,
Orthodontist
Death Row for crimes they did not commit.
March 18 through April 3 at the Hudson Dr. Ken Chu,
Guild Theatre (441 W. 26th St., btw. 9th Dr. Sara Fikree
and 10th Aves.). Admission: Pay what Pediatric Dentists
you wish (suggested donation: $10). For
reservations: 212-760-9817. For info, visit 19 Murray Street
Between Church & Broadway www.TribecaDentalCenter.com
hudsonguild.org.
For an appointment, call 212-941-9095
THE NY POPS HONOR JUDY
GARLAND
Fifty years after her Carnegie Hall
debut almost immediately became the stuff
of legend — and 67 years after she sang
“Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart” on a
trolley car while anticipating a memorable
is quite lean and tall indeed. “He’s kind of
stocky. Very imposing, very gregarious and
social.
“You would kind of describe him as a bad
boy anti-establishment character. In the army
he did two years in the stockade. Which I

don’t think did much to improve his mood.
“One of his good friends is Ken Russell,
another Bad Boy; they tend to clump togeth- Experience...
er.” Logue wrote “Savage Messiah” for flam-
boyant motion picture director Russell, and
played Cardinal Richelieu in Russell’s 1971
Thursday Late Night
“The Devils.” Exclusive service, wine & light fare, complimentary
Milton took “War Music” on a two-week
tour of British universities with all roles, of
conditioning treatments, visit our “refuge room”
whatever gender, played by three actresses. Appointments Recommended
Logue came to see it — “and I think he
loved it.”
On a tiny stage at the Blue Heron, here HAIRCUTS U COLOR U TREATMENTS U STYLING
in New York on East 24th Street, Wilson in
2000 introduced America to Logue’s “Kings”
CHILDREN’S CUTS U EXTENTIONS U JAPANESE STRAIGHTENING
and had just remounted it at a somewhat
larger Off-Broadway venue “when world 7%34"2/!$7!9s
events intervened.”
LANCELAPPINTRIBECA.COM
That is to say: 9/11/2001. Topless towers
indeed. MON 10-7; TUE, WED, FRI 8-7; THUR 8-9; SAT 9-6; SUN 11-6
But where was our Achilles?
26 March 9 - 15, 2011 downtown express

CLASSIFIEDS www.thevillager.com
Chelnow
sea www.chelseanow.com
downtown
®
express
www.downtownexpress.com

DEADLINE WEDNESDAY 5:00 PM MAIL 145 SIXTH AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10013 TEL 646-452-2485 FAX 212-229-2790

VACATION RENTAL REAL ESTATE FINANCIAL DENTIST

French Riviera, Charming
Townhouse. Location: le Bar  


APARTMENT
sur Loup (10 Kms Grasse,  BPA & MERCURY FREE
25 Kms Nice), France.
&RPPHUFLDO/RDQ Non-invasive dentistry for kids!
Breathtaking views, 2 BM, 2 Baths, LR,

TO BUY
DR, EIK. $1250/wk. Turn key furnished. &RPSHWLWLYH5DWH&'V
Photos at www.vrbo.com/268911. /RZIHH:LUH7UDQVIHUV
(941) 363-0925 /RZ0LQLPXP%DODQFHIRU
&KHFNLQJ 6DYLQJV$FFRXQW
SEASONAL RENTAL
&RPPHUFLDO 5HVLGHQWLDO0RUWJDJH Helping our
Fully Furnished.WIFI, Cabled, 60 mi N
kids stay safe,
of NYC,260 yr old house on Appalachian %UDQFKHV
Trail, nr Fahnestock Pk. Wkend Rental, &DQDO6WUHHW1HZ<RUN  healthy and smart
WK
Caretakers on Property.  $YHQXH%URRNO\Q 
$300 per weekend 0DLQ6WUHHW)OXVKLQJ 
Call 413-687-1937 0RQGD\±)ULGD\   DP±SP
6DWXUGD\±6XQGD\ DP±SP
CLEANING SERVICES 7KH%DQNRI(DVW$VLD86$1$   Dr. Lewis Gross, D.D.S.
0HPEHURI%($*URXS Dr. Lewis Gross, D.D.S.
www.holistic-dentists.com | Tribeca, New York
www.holistic-dentists.com | Tribeca, New York
Top to Bottom Apartment Cleaning
Clean apartment= Peace of mind
Studio $50 1 Bdrm $60 2 Bdrm $70

Need to place
Ken 917-548-9195

FURNITURE REPAIR PRINTING

Furniture Refinished Lithomatic Business
Reupholstered
polished & repaired. Hand rubbed finish
if desired in your home. Antiques
restored. Over 45 years exp.
Forms, Inc.
Established 1971
New service - Shredding of your
personal papers.
a legal ad for
Free estimates.
Call Alex
1-800-376-6757
Cell: 917-837-4012
Continuous Business forms,
Snap-a-part Forms, Laser Forms &
Checks for all systems. Offset form,
4-Color Post Cards. Announcements,
your business?
www.myspace.com Envelopes, Letterheads &
DRORI ANTIQUE RESTORATION

COMPUTER SERVICES
Business Cards, Xeroxing, Bindery &
Mailing Services on site
Tel: 212-255-6700
Call 646-452-2471
Fax: 212-242-5963
PERSONAL COMPUTER SERVICES
233 West 18th Street, NYC 10011
Reliable!
(Next Door to the Chelsea Post Office) Jason Sherwood / Senior Marketing Consultant
Repairs, upgrades, installations,
troubleshooting, instruction,
custom-built PCs and consulting.
COMMERCIAL SPACE legalads@thevillager.com
Older PCs serviced SOHO - Manufacturing space.
212-242-7221 Ideal for service, industrial. Ground
floor 5.750 sq ft plus basement
HOME IMPROVEMENT $70/sf Call 212-944-7979

Wall Women Painting & Plastering Soho manufacturing space ideal

Over 25 yrs experience. Located in Chel- for service, industrial / photo studio
sea area. Excellent References. Ground Floor aprox 1,550 sqft
Free estimate $120k per Anum. Call 917 838-0996
Call 212-675-0631
TUTOR
Read the Creative Minds' Tutoring
Pre-Kindergarten to Adults

Archives All subjects/levels, educational

nannies, developmental
therapies, itinerant teaching,
www. early intervention & party planning.
DOWNTOWNEXPRESS
.com
Call Elizabeth @ 718/812-1910
downtown express March 9 - 15, 2011 27

Money, love, lust and revenge on two different stages

BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER
Two plays set by their English playwrights centuries ago
in Italy sailed into Lower Manhattan last week, both with
money, or its absence, as the fulcrum of the plot and both
with feisty heroines subjected to male caprice.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” first published

in 1600, perplexes modern audiences, who don’t know how
to react to the Jewish moneylender, Shylock, described on
the title page of the first quarto as a man of “extreme cruel-
tie.” The production at Pace University’s Michael Schimmel
Center for the Arts through March 13 stars F. Murray
Abraham as Shylock — cursed and degraded by his Christian
neighbors, but necessary to them as a source of funds.
Though Shylock looms over the play (considered one of
Shakespeare’s “comedies”), he is only present in five of the
18 scenes. Much of the plot is devoted to the witty heiress,
Portia, first seen fending off unwelcome suitors, then fall-
ing for a handsome lad named Bassanio, and then defend-
ing Bassanio’s friend and patron, Antonio, from Shylock’s
murderous rage in the famous courtroom scene. (The latter
is the merchant of Venice, who was unable to pay a debt to
Shylock, incurred on Bassanio’s behalf.)
Updated by director Darko Tresnjak to “the near future,”
this Theatre for a New Audience production suggests Wall
Street. The men wear business suits; the women are attired
in chic dresses and high heels. The set is metallic and spare,
with computer screens showing stock prices and other plot
elements. The characters talk on cell phones.
If this was meant to make the play seem more relevant
to a contemporary audience, the effort was superfluous.
Shakespeare has written a fairy tale — the story of a fair
maiden, her suitors and the riddle of the three caskets — Photo by Gerry Goodstein
embedded in a timeless psychological drama. Tom Nelis as Antonio, Lucas Hall as Bassanio and F. Murray Abraham as Shylock — in Theatre for a New
It’s a story about love (including Antonio’s for Bassanio, Audience’s production of “The Merchant of Venice.”
which has homosexual overtones), financial greed, parent-
child relationships, cruelty, humiliation, rage, revenge and THE ROVER The spirited sisters, Florinda and Hellena, seem to be an
servitude. It’s also a story about anti-Semitism and other apt reflection of their author. Engagingly played by Kersti
prejudices. “The Rover” by Aphra Behn, the first professional woman Bryan (Florinda) and April Sweeney (Hellena), they literally
In Shakespeare’s time, Jews had been banished from playwright in England, dates from 1677, and revolves have to run for their lives with their despotic brother (Jorge
England for more than three centuries; it’s likely that neither around two sisters, Florinda and Hellena, whose brother, Alberto Rubio) in pursuit, but they manage to get what they
he nor anyone in his audience knew a Jew. Shakespeare’s Don Pedro, wants to “care” for them by marrying Florinda want in the end. It isn’t clear, however, whether the men of
audience would have had no sympathy for Shylock, who off to his wealthy friend, Don Antonio, despite her love for their choice will bring them much happiness. Florinda’s love,
they would have seen as some characters in the play do, the poor English captain, Belvile, and by sending Hellena Belvile (well-played by Cooper D’Ambrose), is weak and
as a “dog,” an “infidel,” a “villain” and the devil himself. to a convent. The girls have other ideas and persuade their Hellena’s beloved, Willmore (the “rover” of the title played
Shakespeare saw that Shylock’s rage stemmed from humilia- chaperone to let them don masks and seek fun and mischief by the seductive M. Scott McLean), is a charming womaniz-
tion and gave him an eloquent plea for compassion and toler- in Naples’ pre-Lenten carnival. Flirtations, sword fights, er. In fact, none of the men in the play comes off particularly
ance, offering Abraham an opportunity to depict both sides assignations and a near rape ensue, with the requisite happy well. They are quarrelsome, capricious, misogynistic and as
of this complex character — his shrewdness, his greed and ending of marriages for almost all. ready to rape a woman as to woo her.
his anguish and despair. It is a memorable performance. The Restoration comedy is being given an energetic The production, however, comes off very well. The gor-
The surrounding cast is excellent. Kate MacCluggage production by New York Classical Theatre at the World geous costumes are in toothsome shades of salmon, bur-
is lovely as Portia. Christen Simon Marabate is charming Financial Center in Battery Park City. The actors move gundy and cherry red (for the beautiful courtesan, Angellica
as her waiting woman, Nerissa. Jacob Ming-Trent is droll through various spaces in the building, with the audience fol- Bianca, played by Vanessa Morosco). The director, Karin
as Launcelot Gobbo, first servant to Shylock and then to lowing them as the scenes unfold. Originally in five acts and Coonrod, has made an inventive use of the World Financial
Bassanio. The lovers, Lorenzo and Jessica, Shylock’s daugh- lasting three to four hours, “The Rover” has been abridged Center’s varied spaces, and a trio of musicians led by Sarah
ter, are well played by Vince Nappo and Melissa Miller. to around 80 minutes. Stephens on violin acts as a sort of chorus, commenting
“The Merchant of Venice” has some of Shakespeare’s most “I focused it down to issues of women’s independence, musically on the action and helping to shepherd the audience
beautiful language — not only Portia’s famous “the quality of which was really at the core of the play,” said New York from place to place.
mercy is not strained” speech but speeches less often quoted, Classical Theatre’s founder and artistic director, Stephen New York Classical Theatre has two more productions
given to Lorenzo and Jessica, as they (in this updated produc- Burdman. “Aphra Behn was writing in a time of strictly male scheduled for this season: Molière’s “School for Husbands,”
tion) make love in fragrant gardens on a moonlit night. “Sit, playwrights. Like Queen Elizabeth, she was a woman much which will be performed in Central Park from June 2 through
Jessica,” Lorenzo says. “Look how the floor of heaven/Is thick ahead of her time.” June 26, and Shakespeare’s “Henry V,” which will be per-
inlaid with patines of bright gold;/There’s not the smallest orb Not much is known about Behn’s life, but what little is known formed in July in Battery Park and on Governors Island.
which thou behold’st/But in his motion like an angel sings,/ is extraordinary. She was born in 1640 in Canterbury, England,
Still quiring to the young-ey’d cherubims:/Such harmony is in was “designed for a nun,” lived in Surinam (a Dutch colony in “The Rover,” produced by New York Classical Theatre
immortal souls;/But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay/Doth South America) from 1663 to 1664, married and was widowed and by Arts World Financial Center, will be at the World
grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.” after two years, worked in Antwerp as a spy for King Charles Financial Center in Battery Park City through March 20.
If Shylock is a “villain,” he is not the play’s only one. No II, was thrown into debtor’s prison, and when she emerged,
one in the play is devoid of muddied motives and actions abandoned espionage for the theater. She wrote numerous plays “The Merchant of Venice” is at Pace University’s Michael
— but there is no one in the play that Shakespeare does not and several collections of poetry as well as prose. She died in Schimmel Center for the Arts through March 13 before
understand and forgive. 1689 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. beginning a national tour.
28 March 9 - 15, 2011 downtown express

Pace is

the place

5*$,&54
"7"*-"#-&
0/-*/&
"5
8881"$&&%64)",&41&"3&