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145 SIXTH AVENUE NYC 10013 COPYRIGHT 2010 COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC

now

VOLUME 4, NUMBER 39 THE WEST SIDES COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER JANUARY 12 - 25, 2011

Awful art wastes valuable wall space Page 23.

Photo by Geoffrey Croft, courtesy of NYC Park Advocates

January 5: Supporters of building a park at 136 W. 20th St. surround Community Board 4 members.

BY WINNIE McCROY

As the mercury contin-ues to plummet, the BoweryResidents Committee con-tinues their street outreachto area homeless substanceabusers and those seekingmental health in prepa-ration for the March 2011opening of their 127 W. 25thSt. vertical campus facility

At half past three on agray winter Wednesday, Imeet up with BRC ExecutiveDirector Muzzy Rosenblattand two street outreachworkers as they begin theirshift at Madison SquarePark. They are easy to spotin their bright orange wind-breakers that read BRCStreet Outreach on theback.

The men, Francis Garzonand Dennis Poirier, saythey will begin by circlingMadison Square Park, andthen walk the interior. Thepark is part of their beat,which runs roughly from23rd to 28th Streets betweenFifth and Tenth Avenues.

Garzon and Poirier checkin with a man carrying severalshopping bags who stands onthe corner. The exchange ispleasant, but the man says hedoesnt need any help rightnow. We continue down theeast side of the park, wherea tall, older white man in

a blue baseball cap with angold insignia embroidered onit is sorting through newspa-pers in the trash. The guysstop to talk with him. Hisname is Alan, he says. He isfriendly and does not seemto be under the influenceof drugs or alcohol. In fact,he reminds me of a friendsfather. Garzon gives him acard with the BRC hotlinenumber on it, and we moveon.

It is sad to see so manyolder people on the street,especially when it is so coldoutside, I say.

You cant come to it withpity. You have to admire theresourcefulness that allowspeople to survive this,Rosenblatt replies. You alsohave to try and make a con-nection, to get them to tellyou their name, so that we seethey are Alan, not a homelessguy. Then we can see whatwe can do to help Alan, whatAlan needs.

As we walk, Garzon, a thin,young, soft-spoken Latinoman, tells me that he hassuccess at this work becausetalking to people comesnaturally to him. January 12will mark two years since hebegan doing street outreach.He was enrolled in a job-training program when he

As winter winds chill,BRC continues streetoutreach efforts

BY BONNIE ROSENSTOCK

When Chelsea residents learned thispast September that the Department ofSanitations Derelict Vehicle OperationsOffice at 136 W. 20th Street (betweenSixth and Seventh Avenues) was shut-ting down by the end of 2011, theywere thrilled. The low-rise, two-storyadministration building and adjacentparking lot (used as a holding placefor abandoned cars blocking streets)measures 10,000 square feet, aboutone-quarter acre just perfect for apocket park.

They quickly formed Friends of20th Street Park Steering Committee.The diverse coalition of residents andbusiness owners throughout Chelsea,Hells Kitchen and Clinton put togethera proposal for a park and took it toCommunity Board 4 and elected offi-cials. Many of us have long thoughtof this little weedy lot as a park. Whenthe gate is wide open, we walk our

dogs and have pictured a few benchesand a playground, said Matt Weiss, amember of the executive committee.

What they didnt know, however,was that the property they had fallenin love with was engaged to someoneelse. We found out in mid-Octoberthat there was already an outstandingcommitment made by the communityboard and Speaker Christine Quinn todevelop subsidized housing there, saidWeiss. Our response is that this is aconflict of good. Both are vital priori-ties for the community and the city, andin this part of the neighborhood we canhave both.

Weiss explained that the board hadalready secured 90% of their affordablehousing goals as part of the rezonedWestern Rail Yards (WRY) boundedby 33rd Street on the north, 30th Streeton the south, 11th Avenue on the eastand the Hudson River on the west. Therezoning plan, approved by the City

Council, will allow for the preservationof existing housing and create a vastmajority of new permanent affordablehousing for the area.

The community board achievedan astounding success rate on theiraffordable housing goals tied to theRail Yards. But we are talking aboutapproximately 75 units of housing ver-sus a park that would benefit thou-sands. Is the community board reallyrepresenting the greatest needs of thismicro-neighborhood with no greenspace within half a mile? asked Weiss.Without the lot, they get around 1,225units of housing; with it, 1,300, but noopen space. The need for a park growsdaily, as the residential population ofChelsea has exploded. Not every vacantlot should be a building.

East Chelsea, a 12-block, two-ave-nue radius encompassing 14th Street

At 136 W. 20th: A park

or affordable housing?

Continued on page 5

EDITORIAL,LETTERSPAGE 8

NEW YEARSPET FESTPAGE 2

Continued on page 6

Ch le sea

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2 January 12 - 25, 2011

Winter is an especially challengingtime for animal rescue organizationsto ply their trade on the streets. Thetemperature tends to make their charges

shiver, and a constant cold breeze meansmuch less window shopping on the partof locals who may be contemplating theadoption of a dog or cat in need.

Thankfully, the folks at CelebrityCatwalk are sponsoring a few upcomingevents, which rely on the kindness ofstrangers to adopt animals (and corpo-rate cronies to supply a warm location).

Icon Realty (iconrealtymgmt.com) ismaking some of their empty retail spaceavailable so those of us who might be inthe market for a furry friend can do themeet and greet thing indoors. At thesethree upcoming events, you can walkaway with a cat of your choosing afterfilling out the proper forms (at presstime, organizers werent sure if dogscould be taken home on the day of theevent).

New Years Pet Fest takes placeSaturday, January 15, 12pm to 6pm,at 300 W. 22nd Street (corner of 8thAve.). Two additional Fest eventstake place on Saturday, January 22 &29, from 12pm to 6pm, at 45 OrchardStreet. For more info, visit celebritycat-walk.com.

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January 12 - 25, 2011 3

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BY ALBERT AMATEAU

In the last executive action of his admin-istration, Governor David Paterson vetoeda six-month moratorium on hydrofracturegas drilling, known as fracking, in New York

State.Instead of the broad moratorium that

environmental advocates and local electedofficials have been demanding, Patersonissued an executive order on December 11imposing a temporary ban on horizontalfracking.

Governor Patersons executive order,which does not cover shorter, vertical frack-ing wells, imposes the less-comprehensivedrilling ban until July 1, 2011. However,environmental advocates have suggested thatbecause Patersons term as the states chiefexecutive ends December 31, his executive

order would also expire on that date.The vetoed moratorium, which passed

both the State Assembly and the StateSenate, would have been valid as a s tate lawuntil May 15, 2011.

Environmental opponents, includinga group known as Frack Action and theNatural Resources Defense Council, as wellas local state legislators, protested the vetoon December 13 in front of the GovernorsManhattan office on Third Avenue.

I am disappointed that GovernorPaterson has decided to veto such impor-tant legislation and has instead opted for a

scenario that creates an easily exploitableloophole, said State Senator Liz Krueger ina December 13 statement.

This legislation was drafted to ensurethat we put a temporary hold on all drill-

ing that could do irreparable harm to areasof the state, Krueger said. The executiveorder that the governor signed gives us somedelay on some types of drilling, but it stillleaves the state vulnerable to overzealousgas companies who wish to make up for theban on horizontal drilling by increasing thenumber of vertical wells.

The process involves drilling into theMarcellus Shale formation that lies beneaththe 27 Southern Tier counties of New YorkState near the Pennsylvania border, includ-ing the six counties that comprise the New

York City watershed, which supplies 90percent of the citys drinking water, all ofit unfiltered.

The wells are first drilled down vertical-ly between 3,000 to 6,000 feet to the shale

formation and then horizontally for thou-sands of feet in order to inject millions ofgallons of water under high pressure andlaced with a cocktail of toxic chemicals tofracture the shale and release methane gastrapped in the rock.

Opponents of fracking contend the pro-cess poses unacceptable risks to groundwater.The Bloomberg administration and the CityCouncil last year called for a ban on frackingin the New York City watershed, specifi-cally. However, the drilling moratorium thatPaterson vetoed, as well as his executiveorder that replaces it, apply to hydrofracture

drilling throughout the state.The Independent Oil and Gas

Association of New York State has insistedthat fracking has been done without risk ofharming the environment. Moreover, theassociation contends that a fracking banwould eliminate $1 million in annual staterevenues from drilling fees and would riskthe loss of 5,000 industry jobs. Hundredsof millions of dollars in lease paymentsand royalties to landowners and tens ofmillions of dollars in tax revenues to localtowns and counties would be threatenedby a fracking ban, the association said.

The relatively new fracking process,pioneered by Halliburton, the drillingcompany, was exempted from most fed-eral restraints in 2005. In September2009 the New York State Department

of Environmental Conservation issuedan 800-page supplemental draft gener-ic environmental impact statement onproposed guidelines for hydrofracking.Environmental advocates, however, saidthe proposed impact statement was largelywritten by gas companies. The review hasnot yet been completed.

But in response to the opposition byNew York City officials, who said frackingposed a danger to the city water supply, thestate D.E.C. commissioner issued an execu-tive decision removing both the New YorkCity and the Syracuse watersheds from

the environmental review. The decisionrequired gas drillers in those watershedsto undertake supplemental environmentalreviews for each well, a process that wouldincrease the cost of each well and discour-age drilling in the watersheds.

In addition, the federal EnvironmentalProtection Agency has been holding hear-ings over the course of the past year inconnection with a nationwide reportassessing the impact of fracking on watersupply. The E.P.A. intends to submit tes-timony to a science panel for a report tobe completed in 2012.

Activists, pols say Paterson watered down fracking ban

I am disappointed that

Governor Paterson has

decided to veto such

important legislation.

State Senator Liz Krueger

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4 January 12 - 25, 2011

BY ALBERT AMATEAU

The Hudson River Park Trust announcedon January 5 that Connie Fishman, presidentof the state/city authority that is building the

5-mile-long riverfront park, is leaving her postafter 11 years with the Trust, seven of them aspresident.

Fishman credited with shepherding thepark to its current 80 percent completion will leave the Trust in February to becomesenior vice president for real estate of theYMCA of Greater New York.

Everyone who loves Hudson River Parkand cares about New York City owes a hugedebt of gratitude to Connie Fishman, DianaTaylor, chairperson of the Trust board of direc-tors, said in the announcement. As the presi-dent for the past seven years, she has steered

the Trust through countless minefields, buildingeight new public piers and acres of spectacularlandscapes, not to mention an enduring rela-tionship with the public we serve, Taylor said.

Taylor did not indicate who might succeedFishman, but as chairperson of the Trust, Taylorwill probably be consulted in the process, whichwill involve New York States newly inaugurat-ed Governor Andrew Cuomo and also MayorBloomberg.

It will be an interesting search, said ArthurSchwartz, a former chairperson of the HudsonRiver Park Trust Community Advisory Counciland present chairperson of the Waterfront

Committee of Community Board 2, whichcovers Greenwich Village. Schwartz noted that

former Governor Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat,appointed Republican Taylor, the girlfriend ofMayor Bloomberg, as chairperson of the Trust.

I dont suppose Hudson River Park is atthe top of Governor Cuomos agenda, but hisadministration will have a month to figure itout, Schwartz said.

Fishmans connection to the waterfrontpark dates back to when she was an aide toDeputy Mayor Fran Reiter under Mayor Rudy

Giuliani. In 1995, she was Reiters liaison to theHudson River Park Conservancy, the predeces-

sor organization to the Trust. A year after thestate Legislature passed the Hudson River ParkAct, creating Hudson River Park, Fishman, in1999, was named executive vice president of

the Trust, under Robert Balachandran, theTrusts first president.

Schwartz said that since Fishman becameTrust president in 2003 she has been very goodat bringing community boards and advocacyorganizations, like Friends of Hudson RiverPark, together.

She really listens she doesnt just gothrough the motions, he said.

Since joining the Trust in 1999 Conniehas been largely responsible for turning ourdream of an accessible waterfront park intoa reality for New York City, said DouglasDurst, co-chairperson of Friends of Hudson

River Park.Connie has been wonderful to work with

and always appreciated the independent andsupportive role of Friends in advancing Trustplans, said A.J. Pietrantone, executive direc-tor of Friends.

Fishman and the Friends formalizedthe relationship between the Trust and theFriends this year, under which the Friendshave become a designated fundraising partnerto help secure private funds needed to operateand maintain the park.

Im sorry shes leaving as president of theTrust, said Ross Graham, co-chairperson of

the Friends, She was a terrific leader. But Ihope her new job will allow her to do more

things with Friends of Hudson River Park. Ispoke with her a while ago and she said shewanted to be active in park advocacy.

When she took the job as Trust president,

she committed herself to completion of thepark. I think its evident 80 percent of thepark was completed in 2010 that she fulfilledthat pledge, said John Doswell, a member ofthe Friends and of Community Board 4, whichcovers Chelsea.

When you look at the Lower West Sideof Manhattan, you can see firsthand thebeautiful park space, waterfront access, bikepaths, piers and other recreational activitiesthat all New Yorkers can enjoy, and that isa testament to the Trust and the communitywho worked so hard to make this a reality,said Julie Menin, chairperson of Community

Board 1, which covers Lower Manhattansouth of Canal St. Connie was able, in veryarduous economic times, to raise the moneyto ensure that the park was 80 percent com-plete, and Community Board 1 thanks her forher years of service, Menin said.

In a letter to the Trust staff, Fishman said,The past 11-plus years working together tobuild Hudson River Park have been the mostrewarding of my 23 years in public service. TheTrust and its board have realized a remarkableachievement: the nearly complete transforma-tion of the far West Side of Manhattan. Theprocess of creating the park was a once-in-a-

lifetime opportunity one for which I willalways be grateful.

Connie Fishman set to leave Hudson River Park Trust

File photo

Connie Fishman: Setting sail for YMCA.

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January 12 - 25, 2011 5

to 26th Street between Sixth and Eighth

Avenues, is home to approximately 17,000residents including 2,000 children. Since2007, 13 new residential buildings have beenadded from 16th to 24th Streets betweenSixth and Eighth Avenues, translating to700 new units. The closest zone of green isthe W. 21st Street cemetery, with the nearestpark of any consequence (Dr. Gertrude B.Kelly Playground) on 17th Street betweenEighth and Ninth Avenues. This is at oddswith the Mayors goals for open space as laid out in PlaNYC of a park withina half-mile, ten-minute walk for all NewYorkers, Weiss noted.

According to a 2009 report by NYUsFurman Center for Real Estate & UrbanPolicy, District 4 ranks last (out ofManhattans 12 districts) for parks withina quarter-mile of residents. The Manhattanaverage is 93%, while District 4 comes inat 76% and there is less than one-fifth ofan acre of open space per 1,000 residents,compared to a citywide average of two andone half acres per 1,000. In addition, theDepartment of City Plannings 2006 LandUse Survey reported that District 4 rankslast, at just 2%, out of Manhattans 12districts in open and recreational space as

a percent of total district square footage;and out of the 59 community boards in NewYork, CB 4 ranks third from the bottom inopen space.

Members of the park steering committeehave met with the staffs of Quinn, BoroughPresident Scott Stringer, Assembly memberRichard Gottfried and State Senator TomDuane and will soon meet with Rep. JerroldNadler. They recognize the merits of ourcase, and they are not saying no, Weiss said.If we can find another site in the districtor beyond to make up these 75 units, thenour park proposal would be considered.

Realistically, no one is going to tear downa building to build a park, but there are alot of half-vacant, half-sold luxury condosthat went bust in the last two years thatmight be a good solution for subsidizedrentals. However, this is the last remainingparcel that could be suitable for a park ineast Chelsea. He also noted that there arealready approximately 55 units of affordablehousing at 180 W. 20th Street 100 feetfrom the lot and many of those familiesare our key supporters.

At the January 5 Community Board 4meeting, a contingent of nearly 100 park

proponents, holding up green-lettered Builda Park on 20th Street signs, came out toexpress their support for the park-starvedarea. Only four people would speak, saidWeiss, and they were allotted three minuteseach. Weiss requested that the park proposalbe given a proper hearing before the ChelseaPreservation and Planning Committee the neighborhoods land use watchdog before the full board voted on the housingresolution that evening.

In a phone interview with Chelsea Nowbefore the meeting, Weiss related that the

park had only been on the Waterfront& Parks Committees November agenda,which they were formally invited to attend.Every other time, we had to go to public

meetings none of which we were invitedto nor on any agenda. These includedthe November executive committee meet-ing and the December and January 5full board meetings. At a Clinton/HellsKitchen Committee meeting they gave us24 hours notice to attend. So I cannot saywhether we were on the agenda. In absen-tia they put forth this resolution withoutgiving us a chance to speak and withoutbeing heard in front of the right audience,he contended.

Weiss presented key board members witha thick green binder containing hundreds of

letters of endorsements by long-term resi-

dents, business and building owners, condopresidents, young families with children,schools and community groups, includingNew Yorkers for Parks, The Council of

Chelsea Block Associations, Save Chelseaand the Flatiron Alliance.

Pamela Wolff, a 52-year residentof Chelsea and a board member of SaveChelsea, spoke passionately about the needfor a park. If I were to speak on behalf ofany group, it would be the Chelsea West 200Block Association of which I am the trea-surer and archivist, she emailed to ChelseaNow after the meeting. Our blocks, from19th to 22nd Streets, from Seventh toEighth Avenues, are the nearest neighborsto the proposed site and the longest suf-

fering part of Chelsea when it comes to openspace.

Robert Trentlyon (Waterfront & Parksand Chelsea Preservation & Planning com-mittees) introduced a compromise amend-ment to allow a temporary park at the sitewithout any permanent structures that wouldbe run by the Parks Department, untilconstruction commences, because we dontknow when affordable housing will happen,he said. If it appears that after a reasonabletime period nothing is happening, then thecommunity could have that site.

The Uniform Land Use Review Procedure

(ULURP) would be filed once Sanitationvacates, which could be anytime betweennow and the end of the year. Constructioncould take place in 2012 or 2013. Ourunderstanding is the city would either haveto build it themselves or have to offer heavysubsidies to a private developer and managerin order to generate a reasonable return onsubsidized units, stated Geoffrey Croft ofNYC Park Advocates, the groups mediaadvisor, to Chelsea Now.

Corey Johnson, CB 4 1st Vice Chair, sup-ported the general thrust of [Trentlyons]amendment. He said that if after 20 or 30

months funding cant be found for the site,it should be considered for a pocket park.There isnt any other space in Chelsea for apark, he acknowledged. He also supportedthe groups request to present their proposalbefore Chelsea Preservation & Planning onJanuary 11. Would it hurt to let them cometo discuss it?

Trentlyons amendment was voted down.In a phone conversation the following day,Trentlyon said he was disappointed, but notcrushed. I thought it was a nice compro-mise. This should be done all over the city

because there are a lot of spaces on hold.I told Amanda Younger and Sandy Myers[Quinns and Stringers community liaisons,respectively, who attended the meeting] theyshould be appointing some people to theboard who come from east of SeventhAvenue. A lot of the problem goes backto when City Planning rezoned a few yearsago, allowing for huge buildings on SixthAvenue.

In the end, the board voted in favor ofthe affordable housing resolution, save twoagainst and two abstentions. As one of theboard members declared, Its a painful

choice, and we have to stick with it.Also on January 6, Weiss learned from

District Manager Robert Benfatto Jr. thatthe board seeks to remove the park discus-sion from the CPP agenda. They favorthe group going before a joint meeting ofTransportation Planning and Waterfront &Parks on January 13 on the grounds that apark does not meet the boards criteria of aland use concern.

On January 10, Friends of 20th StreetSteering Committee sent a letter to Quinndelineating three key facts they believe weredistorted and manipulated. First, they stated

that in CB 4s Fiscal 2009 and 2010 Statementof District Needs a unanimously ratifieddocument the board refers specifically to136 W. 20th Street as a property that shouldbe secured for potential new parkland. Atthe start of the resolution proceeding, CBmember Elisa Gerantianos referred to thismention of parkland as a clerical error thatdid not alter the historical public processThe first mention of potential affordablehousing on this site did not appear until FY

Continued on page 13

A park or affordable housing?Continued from page 1

Photo by Geoffrey Croft, courtesy of NYC Park Advocates

Department of Sanitation site, 136 W. 20th St.: Proposed area for a public park.

The community board

achieved an astound-

ing success rate on their

affordable housing goals

tied to the Rail Yards.

But we are talking about

approximately 75 units

of housing versus a park

that would benefit thou-

sands. Is the community

board really representing

the greatest needs of this

micro-neighborhood with

no green space within half

a mile?

Matt Weiss

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6 January 12 - 25, 2011

was referred to BRC and has been workingwith them ever since, walking up and down

the avenues, engaging clients who may needhousing, detox or other programs they pro-vide. Although most people are friendly, not alltake advantage of the help he offers.

Some people refuse services, saidGarzon. I guess theyve been out here toolong so theyre already accustomed to livingon the streets. Plenty of times, clients just getaccustomed to street life, and they just dont gonowhere. I have many clients that have beenout here since I started working here, whoare still on the street. Thats how they survive;their daily routine on the street is what theyreaccustomed to.

Garzon is often paired up with Poirier, aslightly older, bearded man with a friendlysmile. Poirier tells me he has been doing out-reach for just under two years. He was work-ing in advertising when he saw two men inBRC coats on the subway engaging a homelessman in conversation.

I looked them up on the Internet thatnight, liked what I saw and started volunteer-ing, said Poirier. I met Alvin our director,one thing led to another, he hired me as anoutreach worker, and here I am.

Poirier said he and Garzon reach out tobetween 200-300 people a month and end

up providing services to about eight of thosepeople. When asked how he manages to makea connection with the homeless, mentally illdrug addicts he encounters on a daily basis,Poirier said, The trick is to getting people totalk to you. Its about trust.

The initial opening has to be really strong,he said. Its just about figuring out what willget them to have a conversation with you; itdoesnt necessarily have to be about servicesright away. Once you engage with them andthey start to see you as a human being andnot an outreach worker, then you can start tohave a conversation about some of the things

we can help them with, about which programsmight fit them.

Poirier notices a man sitting alone on apark bench, so we double back. Garzon speaksto him in Spanish, and he is friendly, but sayshe doesnt need help. When asked if he wouldbe willing to share his story with a reporter, theman replies that he is too busy. We say adios,and move on. We walk outside the park andaround the block and encounter another mansitting on a park bench. He is not homeless, hesays, indignantly.

We definitely have regulars, people whoare not ready to go into services yet, who need

more time, or people who we are in the pro-cess of finding the proper situation for, saidPoirier, as we jump in the BRC van and headtoward Chelsea Park to meet with one of theseregulars who may be ready to access help.

On the way, we stop at Fifth Avenueand 29th Street, where an African-Americanman lies splayed out on the sidewalk acrossfrom the Marble Collegiate Church. Poirierkneels close to him as he gently shakes himawake. They talk, and the man says his nameis Gerald, that he is from Pennsylvania andhas been in the city for a year. Poirier asks

Gerald, whose hands and feet are swollenfrom the cold, if he has a place to stay, and ifhe has been using today. No, he replies, andexplains that he doesnt like the shelters hehas been in.

Most clients have different stories aboutthe shelters, like fights happen, or some clientsget robbed of their clothing, so they dont reallylike the shelter. They consider it a jail almost,said Garzon. So thats where we come in. Wehave our own programs. We have safe havenprograms, transitional housing, and then theymove on to permanent housing. There is thecrisis center for detox and a reception centerfor people with mental illness. The BRC shel-ters are better; there are no fights or stealing.

Rosenblatt is sensitive to the mans situa-tion, saying, What if someone came into yourhouse and woke you up? Although it seems

as though the man could benefit from detox,he takes a card, and we leave him. When wedrive by the corner later in the evening, he isgone. The guys know, as does Rosenblatt, thatyou cant force someone to get the help theymay need.

We continue on to Chelsea Park at TenthAvenue and 27th Street, on the west side. Itis colder here, so close to the river, and asan elementary school track team circles theperimeter of the park, Garzon approachesa potential client with whom he made anappointment to meet that afternoon.

As Poirier parks the van, he explains thatthey have spoken with the man four or fivetimes already, and that they believe he maybe ready to get help. But as we join Garzon,the man, who stands next to a large suitcase,

balks, telling the outreach workers that hehas major depression, but doesnt want to bearound other mentally ill people. He says hehas spoken with another agency and will waitto see if they can help him. We say goodbye,and the guys make a note to ask anotherworker, with whom the man is more familiar,to check in with him in a few days.

He may be playing mom against dad,Rosenblatt said, explaining that he may alsobe telling other agencies he is waiting to see if

BRC cares, amidst coldContinued from page 1

Continued on page 11

When asked how he

manages to make a

connection with thehomeless, mentally ill drug

addicts he encounters on

a daily basis, Poirier said,

The trick is to getting

people to talk to you. Its

about trust.

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January 12 - 25, 2011 7

Sexual assault suspect

soughtThe NYPD is seeking your help in locat-

ing the whereabouts of Andrey Ignatyev a49-year-old Caucasian male approximately160 lbs., 510 in height. Ignatyev is wantedin the 5am Sat., Nov. 6, 2010 sexual assaultof a female, 23 years of age. The assault tookplace in the vicinity of E. 25th St. and FDRDrive. If you have information in regardsto this incident, please see Crime Stoppersinformation, below.

Meaty Pop Art heistBurglars who broke into the third-floor

loft apartment of Robert Romanoff, 39, presi-dent of Nebraska Meat Corp., at 55 Gansevoort

St., sometime between Nov. 23 and Nov. 28made off with artwork by Andy Warhol andRoy Lichtenstein valued at $750,000.

The thieves, who broke through a hallwaywall into the Meatpacking District apartment,also stole watches and other jewelry and tookthe video recorder from the apartments sur-veillance cameras while Romanoff was away onvacation, police said.

The residence is in a five-story buildingserved by an elevator that requires a key tooperate and opens directly onto the sidewalk,according to a Daily News article. A cafe is onthe ground floor, a restaurant is on the second

floor and a club is located in the basement. Astairway connects the club, cafe and the restau-rant, but does not go as far as the third-floorlocation of the burglary, according to a NewYork Post item.

Police said the stolen works, two of whichare 4 feet long, include Thinking Nude andMoonscape by Lichtenstein; Camouflage, aset of eight signed prints, plus The Truck andSuperman by Warhol; and an oil painting,Live Cat, by Carl Fudge.

Rolex, Patek Philippe and Cartier watcheswere among the stolen jewelry items, accord-

ing to reports. The Romanoff family owns con-siderable property in the Meatpacking District,but their wholesale meat businesses today arelocated in the Bronx and New Jersey.

Police are asking the public for informa-

tion about the burglary and the location ofthe stolen artwork. Tips should be phonedto Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (8477)or reported to www.nypdcrimestoppers.comor text-messaged to CRIMES (274637) andentering TIP577.

Drumsticks menace to

societyPolice arrested Jessie Sloan, 27, shortly

before 4pm on Tues., Jan. 4, in front of 853

Broadway (btw. 13th & 14th Sts.) andcharged him with assault with a weapon,resisting arrest and possession of marijuana.Police said the defendant, a Queens resident,was trying to hit a man with a pair of drum-sticks. Officers said Sloan swung his fists atthem when they were making the arrest. Thesuspect, described as drunk and stoned, wasin possession of a small bag of marijuanawhen he was arrested, police said.

This IS the Droid youre

looking forAt 4:59pm on Fri., Jan. 7, at the south

east corner of 8th Ave. & W. 23rd St., aman snatched a cell phone from a victimshand. The perpetrator, who didnt get far,was stopped by police on W. 23rd St. &Broadway and the cell phone (a MotorolaDroid valued at $569) was recovered andreturned to the owner.

Shooting conviction

upheldAn appeals court on Tues., Dec. 28,

upheld the 2006 murder conviction of RudyFleming in the shooting death of NicoleduFresne, 28, an actress and writer, duringa holdup at Rivington and Clinton Sts. inJanuary 2005 while she was walking homewith friends. Fleming, serving a sentenceof life in prison without parole, appealedlast year, claiming that he should havebeen declared mentally unfit for trial. TheAppellate Division panel last week decidedthe trial was valid. There was extensive

evidence the defendant, even if psychiatri-cally illwas deliberately feigning the typeof symptoms that might suggest an inabilityto understand the proceedings and assist inhis defense, the decision said.

Soho House murder

chargeNicholas Brooks, 24, arrested Dec. 9 in

connection with the death of Sylvie Cachay,

33, a swimwear designer found dead ina bathtub at Soho House, the exclusivehotel club in the Meatpacking District, wasarraigned on Tues., Jan. 4, on a charge ofsecond-degree murder. Brooks, of 60 Second

Ave., checked into the hotel with the victimduring the early hours of Dec. 9 and wasarrested later that day after he returned toSoho House, at 29 Ninth Ave. at 13th St.,where her half-clothed body had been foundwith strangle marks on her neck in the over-flowing tub.

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POLICE BLOTTER

CRIME STOPPERS /

NYPD RewardsIf you have info regarding a crimecommitted or a wanted person, callCrime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS,text TIP577 (plus your message) toCRIMES (274637). Or, submit a tiponline at nypdcrimestoppers.com.

$10,000 Reward A $10,000reward is offered for the arrest and con-viction of anyone involved in the shoot-ing of a New York City police officer.Call 1-800-COPSHOT.

$2,000 Reward For anonymousinfo that leads to the arrest and indict-

ment of a violent felon.$1,000 Reward For info leading

to the arrest of anyone who possesses anillegal handgun. Call 1-866-GUN-STOP,anonymously, if you know someone whois carrying, selling or using handgunsillegally.

BICYCLE SAFETYFor the safety of two-wheeled commut-

ers, drivers and pedestrians, the NYPDwants bicycle riders to know and obey

the rules. Except for riders under theage of 12 on bikes with wheels less than26 inches in diameter, cyclists must rideon the street, in the direction of vehiculartraffic (not on sidewalks). Cyclists mustobey all traffic signals and pavementmarkings, yield to pedestrians, and usemarked bicycle lanes or bike paths whenavailable. Bicycle riders should be awareof open car doors. The following safetyequipment is required: Reflective tiresor reflectors; a white headlight and redtaillight (used from dusk to dawn); and abell or horn.

THE 10th PRECINCTContact Info: Deputy Inspector Elisa

Cokkinos / Located at 230 W. 20th St.

(btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.) / Call212-741-8211. For Community Affairs,212-741-8226. For Crime Prevention,212-741-8226. For Domestic Violencematters, 212-741-8216. For the YouthOfficer, 212-741-8211. For the AuxiliaryCoordinator, 212-741-8210. For theDetective Squad, 212-741-8245.

On the last Wed. of every month, at7pm, the Community Council Meeting(open to the public) gives you theopportunity to express quality of lifeconcerns. Call 212-741-8226 for infoon the location, which may change

from month to month. The next meetingtakes place on Jan. 26. The CommunityCouncil President is Larry ONeill.

THE 13th PRECINCTContact Info: Deputy Inspector Ted

Bernsted / Located at 230 E. 21st St.(btw. Second & Third Aves.) / Call212-477-7411. For Community Affairs,212-477-7427. For Crime Prevention,212-477-7427. For Domestic Violencematters, 212-477-3863. For the YouthOfficer, 212-477-7411. For the AuxiliaryCoordinator, 212-477-4380. For the

Detective Squad, 212-477-7444.At 6:30pm on the third Tues. of

every month (at the 13th Precinct sta-tion house), the Precinct CommunityCouncil meets. The Community CouncilPresident is Frank J. Scala.

Find itin the

archives

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.com

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8 January 12 - 25, 2011

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A fond farewellToday the former Deutsche Bank building at 130

Liberty stands only two stories high. According tothe Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the

building will be completely demolished by the end ofthe month.

While there is no single reminder of the tragedyof 9/11 that, should it disappear, could make peopleforget what happened, the demise of this buildingwill certainly signal progress. For years it has stood,shrouded in black, and when it is down and gone forgood, it will be one less eye sore and one less remainingremnant of that horrible day.

What cannot be forgotten however are the pitfallsthat plagued the entire project from beginning to end.Some were minor, like falling debris. But some weremajor, like the hiring of a contractor with no experi-ence in demolition and a careless demolition manage-

ment where a lit cigarette resulted in a fire that killedtwo New York City Firefighters, Robert Beddia andJoseph Graffagnino.

The buildings disappearance will not erase thesefacts. But it will however make it easier to walk downLiberty Street and not see the building that for yearsstood as a beacon of disaster.

We only hope the saga of this project results inlessons learned by all parties so another building, andanother human, never have to suffer the same fate.

U.S. Rep. GiffordsThe awful, senseless act of violence that occurred in

Tucson, Arizona last Saturday has forced us to pauseand reflect. Within minutes of the massacre that notonly put a Congresswomans life in jeopardy but alsoended the life of six others, including a federal judge, a9-year-old girl and a young man engaged to be married,many have began to question the role of extremist, vio-lent rhetoric and references in todays political arena.

We do not wish to blame anyone at this point,except the perpetrator, for what happened. But wecannot turn a blind eye to the fact that a former can-didate for vice president earlier this year posted onher Facebook page a map of the United States withtarget symbols on particular districts, one of which was

Gabrielle Giffords. Ms. Palin used the term reload, afact she cannot deny. Extreme ideological partisanshipand overheated speech, mostly but not entirely comingfrom the right, increasingly characterize our politics.

Regardless of Ms. Palins poor judgment, the heatedrhetoric that divides and instills fear in people was evi-dent here in Lower Manhattan during the debate overPark51. Our community saw what such language coulddo, firsthand, and we are lucky that nothing along thelines of the events of last Saturday happened here.

Beyond demanding that our politicians and punditsdial down their discourse, the shooting rampage inTucson is a clarion call for common sense solutions tothe availability and proliferation of firearms. We salute

Mayor Bloombergs efforts, and those of 500 other may-ors in his group Mayors Against Illegal Guns, to stemthe flow of illegal guns into American cites.

That the Tucson killer, who has a history of drug useand aberrant behavior, was able to legally purchase ahandgun with a high capacity ammunition clip is a furtheroutrage. No sane society should permit ordinary citizensto purchase semi-automatic weapons, period. The federallaw enacted in 1994 that restricted some assault weaponswas allowed to expire in 2004 by a Congress cowed bythe National Rifle Association. Our state and federal law-makers need to show some guts, and take a stand.

EDITORIALSave Chelsea fondly recalls Susan

Cohen

To The Editor:Re Susan Cohen never rested so others could have peace

(Dec. 29):Susan Cohen was a founding member of a group

that started its life as Save Chelsea Historic District,and is now called Save Chelsea. Often a little late toour monthly meetings, due to her hectic work schedule,Susan never stinted on energetic involvement, astuteobservations and thoughtful advice. In contrast toher no nonsense approach and strong opinions, Susanalways presented a generous spirit and ready smile. Eventhrough her illness, she asked to be kept in the loop, andcontinued to be an important participant via email. Weknow that now and in the future, Susan will be sorely

missed by the Save Chelsea board, and throughout allof Chelsea.

Save Chelsea Co-Presidents, Lesley Doyel and Justin Hoy

Remembering Susan Cohen

To The Editor:Re Susan Cohen never rested so others could have peace

(Dec. 29): When I was appointed as a first voting member of the

Health Research Science Board, it was Susan Cohen and her

cohorts who were primarily responsible for changing howthings worked in breast cancer research in New York. Shewas dogged, determined, brilliant and committed and shecould laugh! We will all miss her.

Suzanne Hicks

Susan Cohen will be sorely missed

To The Editor:Re Susan Cohen never rested so others could have peace

(Dec. 29):

For those who never had the good fortune of know-ing her, Susan was a tenant organizer before goingto law school. After graduating from law school, sheclerked for a civil court judge and worked in the SROunit at MFY Legal Services for many years and then didother work at MFY. She also was very active in judicialpolitics, successfully running the election campaignsof many legal services and legal aid attorneys, advis-ing others and steering others through the intricaciesof judicial screening panels, etc. She will be sorelymissed.

Stephen Myers

Tallmer is a treasure

To The Editor:Re A streetcar named Pearl Harbor: Getting onboard

(Notebook, by Jerry Tallmer, Dec. 29):I am in awe of the treasure you possess by the name of Jerry

Tallmer. I have been reading his work since I first found theVillage Voice 50 years ago, when it was in its heyday. I readJerrys (may I call him that?) most recent column with astonish-ment. Even in his hoary old age he can really write, and whata subject he chooses, the days of the bombing of Pearl Harbor,almost 70 years past.

I was on that day being circumcised, so that what Jerry writesis all that more important to me. I am part of a twin and wasborn in October of that year and I was too small for the eighthday, and found myself under the mohels knife on Sun., Dec. 7,and here is a wonderful account of Jerry and his Ford and ofcollege days. The best writing to appear in your pages in a very

long time, and I doubt anyone will be able to top it.Jerry, to 120 years and more wonderful writing.

Bert Zackim

College, combat connection

To The Editor:Re A streetcar named Pearl Harbor: Getting onboard

(Notebook, by Jerry Tallmer, Dec. 29):I love this account of Tallmers Dartmouth doings around

the time of Pearl Harbor. Being a Dartmouth guy myself, with a

father, Class of 1936, who served in North Africa and Europe,and having just written a World War II-oriented novel, all this isfascinating to me. Nice writing, too.

Dave Bergengren

St. Vincents fallout

To The Editor:Re What we need to fill the St. Vincents void (Editorial,

Dec. 29):My wish is for Christine Quinn, Thomas Duane, New York

State Health Commissioner Daines and Bloomberg to get intoa fender bender on the West Side Highway bike path. Theylook for a hospital for their skinned knees, only to be told theyhave to go to New Jersey for the closest treatment center.

Tim Schreier

E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, toscott@chelseanow.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail toChelsea Now, Letters to the Editor, 145 Sixth Ave., groundfloor, NY, NY 10013. Please include phone number for con-firmation purposes. Chelsea Now reserves the right to editletters for space, grammar, clarity and libel.

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PUBLISHER & EDITOR

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Chelsea Now is published biweekly by Community MediaLLC, 145 Sixth Ave., First Fl., New York, N.Y. 10013 (212)229-1890. Annual subscription by mail in Manhattan andBrooklyn $75. Single copy price at office and newsstands is 50cents. The entire contents of newspaper, including advertising,are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without theexpress permission of the publisher - 2010 CommunityMedia LLC, Postmaster: Send address changes to ChelseaNow, 145 Sixth Ave., First Fl., New York, N.Y. 10013.PUBLISHERS LIABILITY FOR ERRORThe Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes ortypographical errors that do not lessen the value of anadvertisement. The publishers liability for other errors oromissions in connection with an advertisement is strictlylimited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequentissue.

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THE WEST SIDES COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

GayCityNEWSNEWS

TM

COMPLILED BY SCOTT STIFFLER

COMMUNITY BOARD 4 (CB4)CB4 serves Manhattans West Side neighborhoods of Chelsea

and Clinton/Hells Kitchen. CB4s boundaries are 14th St. onthe south, 59/60th St. on the north, the Hudson River on thewest, 6th Ave. on the east south of 26th St., and 8th Ave. onthe east north of 26th St. Call 212-736-4536. Visit manhat-tancb4.org or email them at info@ManhattanCB4.org.

COMMUNITY BOARD 5 (CB5)Community Board Five represents the central busi-ness district of New York City. It includes midtownManhattan, the Fashion, Flower, Flatiron and Diamonddistricts, as well as Bryant Park and Union Square Park.The district is at the center of New Yorks tourism indus-try. The Theatre District, Times Square, Carnegie Hall,the Empire State Building and two of the regions trans-portation hubs (Grand Central Station and Penn Station)fall within CB5. Call 212-465-0907. Visit cb5.org or emailthem at office@cb5.org.

THE BOWERY RESIDENTS COMMITTEE:HOMELESS HELPLINE

Construction is ongoing at The BRCs 127 W. 25thSt. vertical campus facility with a projected openingdate of March 2011. The BRC is currently conductingoutreach to homeless people in our area. If you know ofanyone who is in need of their services, call the HomelessHelpline at 212-533-5151, and the BRC will send some-one to make contact. This number is staffed by outreachteam leaders, 24 hours a day. Callers may remain anony-mous. For more info, visit brc.org.

THE 300 WEST 23RD, 22ND & 21ST STREETSBLOCK ASSOCIATION

Contact them at 300westblockassoc@prodigy.net.

THE GREENWICH VILLAGE-CHELSEA CHAMBEROF COMMERCECall 212-337-5912 or visit villagechelsea.com.

THE MEATPACKING DISTRICT INITIATIVEVisit meatpacking-district.com or call 212-633-0185.

THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER

At 208 W. 13th St. (btw. 7th and 8th Aves). Visit gaycen-ter.org or call 212-620-7310.

THE ALI FORNEY CENTERVisit them at aliforneycenter.org. Their mission is to help

homeless LGBT youth be safe and become independent asthey move from adolescence to adulthood. Main headquar-ters: 224 W. 35th St., Suite 1102. Call 212-222-3427. TheAli Forney Day Center is located at 527 W. 22nd St., 1stfloor. Call 212-206-0574.

GAY MENS HEALTH CRISIS (GMHC)At 119 W. 24th St. btw. 7th and 8th Aves. Visit gmhc.org.

Call 212-367-1000 or 1-800-243-7692.

HUDSON GUILDVisit them at hudsonguild.org. For the John Lovejoy

Elliott Center (441 W. 26th St.), call 212-760-9800. Forthe Childrens Center (459 W. 26th St.), call 212-760-

9830. For the Education Center (447 W. 25th St.), call212-760-9843. For the Fulton Center for Adult Services(119 9th Ave.), call 212-924-6710. For the Beacon Office(333 W. 17th St.), call 212-243-7574. Email them atinfo@hudsonguild.org.

PENN SOUTH

Visit pennsouth.coop. The Penn South Program forSeniors provides recreation, education and social ser-vices and welcomes volunteers. For info, call 212-243-3670.

FULTON YOUTH OF THE FUTURE

Email them at fultonyouth@gmail.com or contact Miguel

Acevedo, 646-671-0310.

WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCEVisit westsidenyc.org or call 212-956-2573. Email them

at wsna@hcc-nyc.org.

FRIENDS OF HUDSON RIVER PARKVisit fohrp.org or call 212-757-0981.

HUDSON RIVER PARK TRUSTVisit hudsonriverpark.org or call 212-627-2020.

SAVE CHELSEAContact them at savechelseanyc@gmail.com.

MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT SCOTTSTRINGER

Call 212-669-8300 or visit mbpo.org.

CITY COUNCIL MEMBER SPEAKER CHRISTINEQUINN

Call 212-564-7757 or visit council.nyc.gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml

STATE SENATOR TOM DUANE

Call 212-633-8052 or visit tomduane.com.

ASSEMBLY MEMBER RICHARD GOTTFRIEDCall 212-807-7900 or email him at: GottfriedR@

assembly.state.ny.us.

Community contacts & activities

Applications are currently being accepted for those

who wish to serve on their local Community Board.Applications are due by Jan. 14. For info, visit mbpo.org/free_details.asp?id=64.

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Reform Democratic Club

Dr. Marianne Fahs wants to help you age grace-

fully.TALK: AGING HEALTHY IN CHELSEA

The Chelsea Reform Democratic Club is sponsoringAging Healthy in Chelsea a free event featuringguest speaker Dr. Marianne Fahs (of the BrookdaleCenter for Healthy Aging & Longevity). Fahs willdiscuss the biological, clinical, social, economic andenvironmental factors affecting the health of aging NYCseniors. Free. Thurs., Jan. 27, 7pm, at the Fulton CenterAuditorium (119 Ninth Ave., btw. 17th & 18th Sts.).For more info, email the Chelsea Reform Democraticclub at dsalkaln@yahoo.com.

For info on bills and legislative status, visit public.leginfo.state.ny.us.

For info on the legislative process, visit the NewYork State Assemblys website: assembly.state.ny.us.

8/8/2019 CHELSEA NOW 1-12-11

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10 January 12 - 25, 2011

BY SCOTT SITFFLER

Harry J. Brownell, 89, a former resident of

Chelsea, died on December 29, 2010 after abrief illness. Harry went to school at St. AloysiusCollege in New Orleans. He had a long, distin-guished career as an accountant with the ArmyCorp of Engineers. He traveled for work, evento Reykjavik, Iceland. He played bocce, win-ning at local tournaments. He is survived by hislongtime companion William Ingram.

A private internment at Calvary Cemetery(Woodside, Queens) followed funeral servicesheld on January 4 at the Church of St. Joseph inGreenwich Village.

Brownell was a longtime Chelsea resident he lived at 151 W. 16th St. until January 2010

when his declining health required a tempo-rary move to an apartment in the 60s, then to anursing home. His surviving partner is now inan assisted living facility in the Bronx.

Sabrina Morrissey of Morrissey &Morrissey, LLP was appointed Brownellsguardian in October 2007. At that time,Morrissey recalls, she was approached by SusanCohen (who herself passed away on December22). Susan introduced me to Harry, because Ido a lot of elder law and guardian work. Shesaid, I have this guy on the verge of beingevicted from his apartment. Harry was a veryinteresting person. Youd meet him and know

there was something special about this guy. Hewas very smart, good with numbers, knew a lot

and was savvy in that New York sort of way. But

he also had dementia. While still living in Chelsea and suffer-

ing from the gradual deterioration that comeswith dementia Morrissey says, He stillwalked all over Chelsea, every day. The peoplein the stores knew him. When his dementia gotworse, people looked at him with fondness even when they knew this was not the Harry ofbefore. But beneath it all, you could see he wasa good guy.

Donations may be made to the ChelseaCoalition on Housing (450 W. 24th St. / NY,NY 10011) or Brother Martin High School

(brothermartin.com. 4401 Elysian FieldsAve. New Orleans, LA 70122).

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January 12 - 25, 2011 11

BRC can help him. But we dont want to takehim some place that wont be good for him.

We provide them with information on therequirements for the programs, to see if theyreeligible, Poirier explained. Every client weengage might be eligible for different things.You just have to make a connection with them,get them to start talking and determine whichclient is appropriate for which program.

We roll around the corner, and Poirier andGarzon stop to talk with a woman pullingcans out of the trash. These canners, theyexplain, are usually better able to take care ofthemselves and often have a place to live. It isrumored that one canner in Chinatown put herchild through college via recycling.

As we sit in front of the Urban Pathwaysdrop-in center a Department of HomelessServices program a woman approaches thevan. She came up from Kentucky a year ago,she says, and things didnt work out. Now shewants to return, to stay with her sister. She hasbeen waiting three weeks for her request to beprocessed. Can BRC help? Poirier explains thatonly DHS can provide bus tickets to peoplewho want to return to their state of origin. Heapologizes, but encourages her to be patient:her ticket will come through.

Back on the road, we cruise west down 23rdStreet, stopping when the guys notice a woman

with whom they have spoken in the past. She isunreceptive to their offers of help, but an older

gentleman perched on a standpipe smoking acigarette takes a card. The guys tell me he askedthem for change, and later said he was stayingat a program in Wards Island.

Around the corner, we stop to speak withan older white woman, who sits with her bagsin front of a bodega. Poirier and Garzon saythey have approached her in the past, and sheis unwilling to engage in conversation. Shedeclines to speak to us. Next to her bags standsa box of hand-painted pictures. In an effort to

start a conversation, Rosenblatt offers to buyone of the paintings, which appear to be on

sale for $2 apiece. She gives him the fish-eyeas she informs him that the cost is not $2, but$20. Stymied, we get back in the van and driveaway.

Rosenblatt directs Poirier to drive aroundthe block to find an older white man he oftensees by Grays Papaya, and we soon find himleaning against a storefront, his shopping cartof possessions ten feet away. The guys knowthis man, and Garzon warns me as we approachhim that the man sometimes becomes irate.

Garzon introduces himself and asks theman if he needs help. Why dont you leave me

alone? the man replied. Youre always outhere, everyone hates you! Your organization isso bad! Nobody wants you here! I hope you goout of business this year! he raged.

Garzons face remains calm. Letting the

man know BRC is here if he needs to accessservices, Garzon returns to the van. After threehours riding along with the outreach workers,I have a good idea of the challenges that facethem.

People living on the street face myriadchallenges, from poverty and substance abuseto mental illness. Poirier said that help couldcome from many different routes. Somepeople give a homeless person the info andhave them call, and others call BRC to let themknow a person in need is out there.

If its severe distress an emergency call 911, he said. But if you see a guy in a

regular spot, call and we can try to help them.Sometimes we go out there, and they havesome very choice words for us, which is cool,its okay. But it is absolutely worth the time tocall, because thats our job. It is certainly part ofwhat we do. Even though Francis and I spend acertain amount of time in our zone or area, thatdoesnt mean were not going to miss a spot.So if you call it in, theres a good chance weregoing to be able to help that person.

BRC outreach efforts bring homeless in from the coldContinued from page 6

Photo by Winnie McCroy

BRC outreach workers, Garzon, left, and Poirier, right, in Madison Square Park.

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BY LORI ORTIZ

In a new twist on creative collabora-tion, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), maker ofReyataz, a drug used in combination therapy

to treat HIV, is partnering with Alvin AileyDance Theater (AADT). BMS is, at thispoint, the major donor for the develop-ment of a new work inspired by photosand essays created by or about peopleliving with HIV.

Speaking by phone, BMS CristiBarnett said, Weve had an ongoingcommitment to increasing public aware-ness.

The company started the ReyatazFight HIV Your Way contest in 2006,calling for essays and photos and display-ing the winning entries in a traveling

exhibit.This year, we wanted to get more peo-

ple involved and aware, and thats whenwe contacted Ailey, Barnett explained.

The goal is to inspire people to con-tinue the fight against AIDS. The druggiant recognized the power of dance and of the Ailey company, in particular to create a positive image.

The cause could not be closer toAADTs heart. Founder Alvin Ailey diedof AIDS at the age of 58 a fact hewanted hidden. Afterward, the companycarefully complied and, even five years

later, the official cause was explained asa rare blood disease or a rare liver

disease.Ailey died on December 1, 1989,

and former company star Judith Jamisonstepped in to lead as artistic director formore than two decades. Exactly 21 yearsafter the founders passing, on WorldAIDS Day 2010, Jamison announced theReyataz contest, kicking off the com-panys City Center engagement and

her final season.Robert Battle, the choreographer who

founded the much smaller modern dancetroupe Battleworks, is taking over. Thecontest collaboration fell into his lap.It was his first decision as Ailey artistic

director designate, and he saw it as anopportunity.

I think it is a good start to try andraise awareness with something that isprofound and what is more profoundthan a work of art, he said in hislight-filled office overlooking downtownManhattan and the still emptyish spacewhere the World Trade Center was. Weknow about the power of negative imagi-nation but what about the power of whatpositive imagination can do? I see this asa real opportunity to say something.

Revelations, the story of African-

American perseverance told in dances setto spirituals and blues, opened the teen-age Battles eyes when the Ailey companyperformed it in South Beach, near hisFlorida hometown. The fact that some-body made a dance and liberated people,in a way. I know that it did that for meand millions of others to see some-thing of themselves onstage.

Imagine how radical it was at its 1960premiere years before.

It took me a long time to get fromthere to here, Battle acknowledged.

Sylvia Waters saw his 2001 Hunt

and commissioned it for Ailey. Sincethen, he has made 11 dances for AADT.

He will not choreograph the new danceabout HIV himself. He could not yetname his choice but said it may not bean obvious one.

Thats interesting to me, to challengewhat we know about something, Battlesaid.

It will be interesting to see his owner-ship of the project and of Aileys future.

Jamison, announcing the contest onAileys opening night, said AADT isproud to be paying homage to the thou-sands of individuals fighting HIV theirway and looks forward to unveiling thisoriginal collaboration next year.

Anyone with a personal story to shareis invited to enter at fightHIVyourway.com or by mail by February 28, even

if you dont have HIV, said Barnett.Although the contest aims to increaseawareness, according to the website,winning contestants can later opt out ofreleasing identifying information. Thefirst prize is a three-day trip for two toNew York, with hotel, a generous spend-ing stipend and tickets to the Ailey show.Fifteen second-place winners get pairs ofshow tickets.

So far, the confirmed judges areJamison, Broadway Dreamgirl Sheryl LeeRalph and POZ magazine editor ReganHofmann. They were chosen based on

their previous efforts in HIV advocacyand with helping to alleviate the stigma.

Art Battles HIV

Jamison, announcing the

contest on Aileys openingnight, said AADT is proud

to be paying homage to the

thousands of individuals

fighting HIV their way and

looks forward to unveiling

this original collaboration

next year.

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January 12 - 25, 2011 13

If youre tired of winter already and/or want to make goodon that New Years Day vow to make the world a better placeif your higher power makes your splitting headache go away,the Arbor Day Foundation wants to help you help yourself and the planet. How? By getting a jump on Arbor Day,2011 (April 29). Join the Foundation now and beforethe prime planting period (Feb. 1 through May 31), youllreceive two white flowering dogwoods, two floweringcrabapples, two Washington hawthorns, two American

redbuds and two golden rain trees. The trees (with pink,yellow and white colors) are perfect for large and smallspaces and will provide food and habitat for songbirds so says John Rosenow, chief executive and founder of theArbor Day Foundation. The 6 to 12-inch trees will arriveat your doorstep with planting instructions. To get yourtrees, all you have to do is join the ADF. Members will alsoreceive a subscription to the Foundations bimonthly pub-lication and The Tree Book, which includes info abouttree planting and care. Just send a $10 contribution to TenFree Flowering Trees, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 ArborAve., Nebraska City, NE, 68410 by Jan. 31. You can alsojoin online, at www.arborday.org/january.

Image courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation.

A forest replanted with the help of your donation?

Ten free flowering trees

09s Statement of Needs. This means thatevery single Statement of Needs going back

to 2004 listed this site as potential new park-land only. Based on this, one could arguethat the Boards preference for land useon this site what they are now claimingas clerical errors and typos for six years was for parkland and not housing. Theentire commitment over 136 W. 20th Streetis compromised because of this oversight.

Second, they wrote that Joe Restuccia(Clinton/Hells Kitchen Land Use and co-chair, Housing, Health & Human Servicescommittees), who in previous public inter-views has referred to affordable housing

gains at the WRY as fantastic, chose firstto list only those units that have been builtin West Chelsea ignoring the fact that theextent of CB 4s affordable housing gains at WRY pertained to the whole district. He

then spoke to only those units actually com-pleted since the WRY rezoning, as opposedto those committed as part of the mainhousing package to come, which add up to1,343 units CB 4s goal is 1,500; thus, a90% success rate. As a result, his figuresstood between 0 and 40%. We are confi-dent that this manipulation of the numbersand selective disclosure of key facts had amaterial influence on last nights vote, theyasserted.

Restuccia, an affordable housing devel-oper, did not recuse himself from any of

the votes. Chelsea Now found that in theOctober 26, 1998 New York Observer,An Urban Renewal Plan Stalls, ClintonResidents Squabble, referring to the Flatsat 554 W. 53rd Street, Joel Rosenblatt wrote,

Katherine Gray, chair of the boards landuse committee said there are longstandingarguments in the community about Joes con-flict of interest, and we are all aware of themas we move forward in any project that hasto do with affordable housing. Restucciasgroup, Clinton Housing DevelopmentCorporation, eventually wound up develop-ing the Flats.

Finally, the letter stated, in a December10, 2009 WRY Points of Agreement letter,former Deputy Mayor Robert Lieber notedthat 136 W. 20th Street will be a devel-

opment up to 165% AMI (Area MedianIncome) for families earning approximately$130,000, based on CD4 figures andnot, as the resolution discussed, affordableunits for middle-income families in a range

of 80% to 125% AMI. Those on the Boardwho are new members, as well as those long-time member were thus misled to believethey were championing housing at a muchlower income band.

Therefore, the park advocates concludedthat the vote on the resolution was a pro-for-ma exercise that should be withdrawn anda new public hearing process be held alongwith a fresh debate. Chelsea Now contactedQuinn, Stringer, Duane and Gottfrieds pressoffices for comment, but as of publicationtime, has not received a response.

Continued from page 5

Relative merits of park, housing debated

Photo by Geoffrey Croft, courtesy of NYC Park Advocates

136 W. 20th St.: Future home of a public park?

Photo by Geoffrey Croft, courtesy of NYC Park Advocates

January 5: Supporters of building a park at 136 W. 20th St. take a stand.

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14 January 12 - 25, 2011

BY SCOTT STIFFLER

The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP)works to guarantee that all people are freeto self-determine their gender identityand expression, regardless of income or

race and without facing harassment,discrimination or violence. Achieving thatgoal can be tough, and sometimes evendiscouraging yet the SRLP always has afew events up its fabulous sleeve designedto put the fun in fundraising and theactive in activism. OK, technically,theres no e in activism. But the SRLPis all about shining a light on the beautyof becoming who you are and todaywe feel like putting an active in activ-ism. You dont have to be an imaginativespeller to embrace the SRLP ethic justdrop by and hang out at one, two or all

three of their upcoming events.

HOT STUFF:Every third Thursday of the month,

SRLP hosts free workshops for low-incometrans people and trans people of color. Thetopics include know your rights train-ing, name changing and self-care actions.January 20, 6:30-8:30pm, the focus is onimmigration issues.

COFFEE TALK:Back in the good old days of November

2010, SRLPs Movement Building Team

(MBT) was thrilled to bring to life the

member-driven project Coffee Talk acommunity-building gathering focused onconversation and, of course, coffee! Asof January, its a monthly happening. Thismonth, it happens on Tuesday, January

25, 6:30-8:30pm.Both of the above events take place

at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project (147 W.24th St. 5th floor, btw. Sixth & SeventhAves.). For info, call 212-337-8550 orvisit srlp.org.

If youre not in need of SRLPs ser-vices, dont feel bad. It takes all kindsto make up this crazy world, honey. Butyou can still make a difference to thosewhose lives are helped, and changed, bythe organizations good work. So heresone more event that lets you do goodwhile taking a nice tax write-off this time

next year!

SMALL WORKS FORBIG CHANGE 2011:

SRLPs 6th Annual Benefit Art Sale:Show your love for SRLP on ValentinesDay weekend! Over 65 works of art willbe for sale with bidding starting aslow as $10. Plus: DJs, performances andrefreshments. All proceeds benefit SRLP(stay tuned for more details, including theabsurdly fantastic HEY QUEEN! after-party). Saturday, February 12, from 6-9pm(bidding ends at 8pm sharp). At Jack

Studios (601 W. 26th St., 12th floor).

SRLP wants to give you coffee, art and change

Photo courtesy of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project

SRLP offers a variety of workshops and events.

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January 12 - 25, 2011 15

For those folks covered by health care insurance (private or government-Medicare) yet find yourself spending large sums of money out of pocket, weare here to help you. NY-HOPS, an organization now just 3 years old, offersits members large discounts from responsible and ethical organizations and

providers of health and social service products and services.

NY-HOPS, which stands for Home Organized Personal Services, functionslike a buyers coop; it is non profit. The first such program started at thePenn South Coop in Chelsea more than 15 years ago. We have now spreadthroughout New York City in many local HOPS programs. For those peopleliving in Chelsea, the West Village and Clinton, the Penn South Program would

be your home base.Most health care insurance doesntcover: hearing aids; legal services; personalemergency response system (PERS); homeand auto insurance; home health aides;individual & family counseling; financial

advisory service and banking; eyeglasses andmore. Providers will give you discounts forthese products and services.

Membership dues amount to $35 year less than $3 a month.You can save hundreds of dollars. You can count on us!

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Spending Large Sums of Money Out of Pocket? The National

Arts ClubFounded in 1898

Coretta Scott King

Kathy Jordan Sharpton

Maya Angelou

Toni Morrison

Alice Walkerand Oprah Winfrey

THE NATIONAL ARTS CLUB15 GRAMERCYPARKSOUTH, NEWYORK, NY 10003

TEL: 212-475-3424 www.nationalartsclub.org

The National Arts Club has always identified with theAfrican American Community as represented by its great women:

A rendering of the Downtown Whitney, with the High Line in the foreground.

BY ALBERT AMATEAU

The Whitney Museums executive director gaveCommunity Board 2s Institutions and Art Committeean updated look Monday at designs for the new museum

planned for Gansevoort Street at the High Lines southend.

Whitney Director Adam Weinberg said the museumwas on track to acquire the city-owned site i n early 2011,begin demolition of existing structures in February andhold an official groundbreaking on May 24.

Completion is expected in 2015, but Weinberg couldnot be more specific.

Although details like the exterior color of the RenzoPiano-designed museum have not yet been decided, Whitney executives said the museums highest eleva-tion will now be 166 feet, a bit shorter than originallyproposed.

Piano is also designing the High Line maintenance-

and-operations building, which will connect to theelevated park but not to the museum. The M & Obuilding should be completed by the same time as themuseum, Weinberg said.

Members of the committee , chaired by David Gruber,waxed enthusiastic at the presentation of a new Whitneythat will be returning to the neighborhood it left in1930, when it moved from W. Eighth Street to the UpperEast Side.

This is the best project Ive ever seen since Ive beenon the board, said committee member David Reck.

Whitney: Spring groundbreaking?

To Advertise in Chelsea Now,

please call 646.452.2496

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January 12 - 25, 2011 17

CHELSEA: ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

BY JERRY TALLMER

Mr. Richard Bruce Cheney, Esq.Vice President Emeritus, USA

Mr. Vice President Emeritus:

I know you have long been a fan of something calledwaterboarding, and in that regard I wonder if you would careto join me in a sort of field trip an educational expedi-tion to a museum in this city, where recently I was almostburied at the entrance by 40 or 50 little kids chirping awaylike so many happy sparrows while a couple of nice youngteachers tried to make sure that not one sparrow had beenlost en route.

The excited children were being swept into the JewishMuseum, a venerable but often quite daring institution thatcurrently houses a compelling exhibit Houdini: Art andMagic all about the life and times of a performer whoheld this nation (and the world) in thrall as the dear old 19thcentury was turning into the corrupt and infinitely bloodier

20th.But I do hope, Mr. Cheney, that those chirping little ones

didnt get too upset when, halfway through this fascinatingdisplay, they came upon an upright rectangular see-throughchamber labeled Water Torture Cell.

Yes, Virginia, water can be used as an instrument of tor-ture its right there in print on the label even if yourUncle Dick tells you otherwise, and even if were not at thismoment talking about a board but a sort of glass and steeltelephone booth.

Okay, lets drop the Uncle Dick stuff. The point is thatyou could drown in this Water Torture Cell unless youwere Harry Houdini, magician and escape artist supreme(in which case you could also spring free of every other pro-

totype object in this remarkable display, from heavyweighthandcuffs to a massive traveling trunk to a triple-strengthstraitjacket to an oversized milk can to the Water TortureCell).

The astonishing Houdini could, and did, escape fromthem and from much else straightjacketed at the bottomof a river, for instance over and over and over again. Andwould with no less astonishing modesty bill himself aroundthe globe as, for one instance out of dozens on these walls a vivid lithograph in the Western Mail, Cardiff, Wales,1913 The World-Famous Self-Liberator! HOUDINI!Presenting the Greatest Performance of His StrenuousCareer! The Water Torture Cell, by the way, is the only

reconstruction in this whole assemblage (the original havingbeen destroyed by a 1995 fire at the bygone Houdini MagicalHall of Fame, in Niagara Falls).

Houdini did walk among the notables of his time, fromCharlie Chaplin, whom he physically, athletically and aes-thetically much resembled (viz. the prizefight sequence in1931s City Lights), to Fatty Arbuckle, to W.C. Fields,to Sarah Bernhardt, to Theodore Roosevelt, to SherlockHolmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle whom he liked

but disagreed with over the phoniness, as Houdini saw it, ofspiritualism.

They and other greats of the period were his peers, eventhough Houdini like Chaplin was technically an immi-grant. And this exhibit is not just about Escape. It is alsoabout Immigrants.

Escape and Immigrant sometimes the same thing.Particularly if you were a European Jew.

Ehrich (or Erik) Weiss (or Weisz), the son of RabbiMayer Samuel Weiss and Cecilia Steiner, was born inBudapest, Hungary, on March 24, 1874 though for someyears Ehrich (redubbed Harry) claimed to have been born inAppleton, Wisconsin, USA. Maybe he really thought so.

The rabbi and his family had in fact emigrated to America to Appleton when Ehrich was three, and though therabbi never did learn English, young Ehrich got Americanizedquickly enough. At some later point, probably his teens, theaspiring young runner, wrestler and magician changed hislast name to Houdini, in honor of the great French magicianJean Eugne Robert-Houdin (1806-1871).

With some amusement, Brooke Kamin Rapaport, thefreelance curator of this engrossing project, notes thatAppleton, Wisconsin, has sent forth into the world novelist/

playwright Edna Ferber, U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy andHarry Houdini, man of magic.The first thing that hits your eye when you walk through

the portal at the Jewish Museum that says Houdini is theprojection on a sizable wall of a giant fish dangling andstruggling at the end of a line.

Oh no, this isnt a fish. Its Harry Houdini, the man whocan untie knots with his toes and his teeth, swinging in astraitjacket high over a large crowd, either in Times Squareor in front of some other big-city newspaper building, all thebetter leap from feat to headline.

Pretty soon, as we move along, we meet petite, good-look-ing Wilhelmina Beatrice (Bess) Rahner, the Roman Catholicsong-and-dance girl from Coney Island whose German-

American mother never forgave her daughter for marrying aJew. Bess soon got rather famous in her own right, helpingHarry do Kafka one better with the Metamorphosis act inwhich they somehow exchange positions, sight unseen, heshere, shes there, alakazam!

What I did not know until this exhibit came along washow many people have played Houdini in movies TonyCurtis, Harvey Keitel, Guy Pearce, Norman Mailer to namea few and that Houdini himself was a star in a half-dozenworks of the silent film era (he was the first man ever to flyan airplane in Australia, and performed acts of derring-do inthrillers like Haldane of the Secret Service (1923).

Even more astonishing is the number of artists writers,painters, sculptors, photographers, conceptualists who

have come along in all these years since Houdini died tomemorialize his existence through what they, these artists,do.

High among them is Matthew Barney, who not only madethat film in which Mailer plays Houdini but also in thislayout has an entire (small) room called Cremaster 5: TheEhrich Weiss Suite which you look at through its glassdoor. What you see is a small white plastic casket and six orseven live high-collared Kite Jacobin pigeons whose defeca-tions on that casket symbolize, in the words of the JewishMuseum, that nature endures while life is fleeting.

But nobody has paid better tribute to Houdini than novel-ist E.L. Doctorow, who gets the escape artist thing and theimmigrant thing and the aviator thing all brilliantly together

in 1975s best-selling Ragtime.The catalogue for the Jewish Museum exhibit is actually

a 260-page Yale University Press hardcover book, and in it,among much else, there is a Q&A interview of Doctorow byRapaport.

When I was a boy [in New Rochelle], the Doctorowwho hit the 80-year mark on January 6 tells her, he[Houdini] served as one of the models for a childs fantasylife. We children had a lot of them. There was Tom Mix, thecowboy, or the great comic book heroes like Superman, orJoe DiMaggio, or Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy.

Before Dick did waterboarding: What Houdini knewReconstructed Water Torture Cell part of exhibits bag of tricks

Image courtesy of the Jewish Museum

Houdini in Chains 1903.

HOUDINI: ART AND MAGICOn view through March 27

At the Jewish Museum (Fifth Ave. and 92nd St.)

Exhibition Galleries, Hours: Sun., Mon., Tues.: 11am-5:45pm /

Thurs.: 11am-8pm / Fri.: 11am-4pm / Sat.: 11am-5:45pm

Museum Admission: Adults: $12 / Seniors/65 & over: $10 /Students: $ 7.50 / Children under 12: Free / Jewish Museum

Members: Free / Saturdays: Free (11am-5:45pm)

For info, call-212-423-3200 or visit thejewishmuseum.org

MUSEUM

Continued on page 18

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18 January 12 - 25, 2011

Some of them real, some fictitious. And in

that pantheon was Harry Houdini.Kids in my generationloved learningcard tricks and sleight of hand, making coinsdisappear, trying to hypnotize one another,that sort of thing. And behind all that tom-foolery stood the figure of Houdini. Eventhough he was long since dead. Perhapsbecause he was long since dead.

When Houdini tried and failed to raisehis own beloved mother from the dead, hegrew bitter and skeptical about all forms ofspiritualism. Indeed, he spent much of theclosing part of his own life debunking allpsychics and spiritualists. You cant flimflam

a flimflammer, hed acidly proclaim. Andwhen Lady Doyle, the wife of his friendArthur Conan Doyle, engaged in spiritualconverse in English with Houdinis latemother, the son let it be known that CeciliaWeiss had never spoken a word of English inher lifetime. This is replicated in the JewishMuseum exhibit by a fragment of film inwhich actor Paul Michael Glaser cries out,during a sance: Mama, this is your son,speak Yiddish!

What most impresses Rapaport, over andabove the Great Escapes, is the ordinary,mundane quality of what might be called

Houdinis props objects an immigrantwould well understand a big old traveling

trunk; steel sewing needles (for swallowing,ugh!); an oversized milk can (from farm todairy to milkman to you).

Ehrich Weiss of Budapest, Hungary and Appleton, Wisconsin died of perito-nitis from a ruptured appendix on the after-noon of October 31, 1926 (Halloween eve)in Detroit, Michigan. Every magician nowalive owes him more than can ever be repaidand will freely say so. But I do not think anymagician now alive will freely and gladly go

for a swim in Harry Houdinis glass booth.We leave that to Deadeye Dick.

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Houdini: Art and Magic

What most impresses

Rapaport, over and abovethe Great Escapes, is the

ordinary, mundane qual-

ity of what might be

called Houdinis props

objects an immigrant

would well understand.

Continued from page 17