CHELSEA NOW, May 21, 2015

YOUR WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CHELSEA, HUDSON YARDS & HELL’S KITCHEN

Postal Workers Put Their Stamp on ‘Action’ BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC On May 14, the sun shone brightly on the steps of the James A. Farley Post Office, between W. 31st and 33rd Sts. on Eighth Ave., as postal workers rallied for a “National Day of Action.” Across the country, as well as in Chelsea and the Bronx, the workers rallied for their unions, better service for customers and to stop what they say is the continued privatization of the United States Postal Service (USPS). “We’re coming out to get information to the American people,” said Jonathan Smith, Continued on page 3

Activists: City Lacked Plan When Closing Clinic BY DUNCAN OSBORNE Following a meeting with senior staff at the city’s health department, some AIDS activists are saying the department never had a plan to replace the services that were lost when the agency closed its Chelsea sexually transmitted disease clinic for a two-year renovation. “It’s public health malpractice,” said James Krellenstein, a member of ACT UP New York, following the May 15 meeting, which was convened by City Councilmember Corey Johnson, who chairs the Council’s Health Committee and represents Chelsea. “It’s like closing a firehouse in the middle of a burning Continued on page 4

ALL THE RIGHT (FLAMENCO) MOVES See page 21.

Photo by Zach Williams

Randy Morris lives alongside the West Side Highway within a self-made bicycle trailer, where he crafts handmade guitars.

Curbside Homestead, and Hope, for Former Chelsea Merchant BY ZACH WILLIAMS Musician and craftsman Randy Morris makes his home and work alike on a nondescript stretch of curb alongside the West Side Highway, a few hundred feet north of the newly opened Whitney Museum. An unyielding desire for workspace brought him there after several years spent in residence at a transitional housing facility in the East 20s through the city’s Housing First homelessness strategy. In its harsh realities and isolation, life on the streets is hardly romantic — but in the case of Morris a purpose arose. Scraps of wood make guitars. Likewise, they form the skeleton of his handmade trailer home. Collecting bottles and cans earns the dough to buy what cannot be found in the streets of the Meatpacking District. Once upon a time he had a family, a daughter, and

© CHELSEA NOW 2015 | NYC COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

a business. He has not spoken to them for many years, said Morris, who did not offer reasons. But he has music and a knack for building with his own two hands. As he approaches his 60th birthday, he realizes that opportunities for a new life are diminishing — though he retains the mindset that with a specific type of help, he could emerge from his current station in life. “I just need that little jump start...other people’s things make me want to have them (but) by my own hands,” he said in an interview on May 17 while practicing a song entitled “Once I Loved Before.” He hardly enjoys living on the streets — but the solitude and space of his curbside homestead enables him to live on his own terms. That means working without

Continued on page 6 VOLUME 07, ISSUE 15 | MAY 21 - 27, 2015

Kid Gloves Won’t Help Playground Problems BY ZACH WILLIAMS A Community Board 4 (CB4) committee is calling upon the Parks Department to address quality-of-life issues at local playgrounds in the remaining time before long-awaited renovations begin on two local parks. The presence of private exercise groups, unaccompanied adults and pot-smoking teens in play areas utilized by local children was discussed at the May 14 meeting of the CB4 Waterfront, Parks, and Environment Committee held at the community board’s office at 330 W. 42nd St. (26th floor). The committee decided to reach out to the department in an informal manner in order to secure more supervision of the public spaces as well as conduct a quick fix on a troublesome gate at Matthews-Palmer Playground (W. 45th St. btw. Ninth & 10th Aves.). Members of the committee said at the meeting that a simple telephone call to Steve Simon, chief of staff for Manhattan parks, would yield a better response than a formal letter, which could needlessly instigate a “testy” situation. The purpose of the

Photo by Zach Williams

Adults and teens infringing on park play areas meant for children was an issue of concern at a recent CB4 committee meeting.

softer approach is to convince the tee an update on upcoming construcdepartment to address issues in the tion at the two sites. “It’s an incredible amount of aggrashort-term before the park begins construction work at the playground as vation that the community has to well as Hell’s Kitchen Park (10th Ave. pressure Parks to get anything done,” he said. “As you probably know it’s btw. W. 47th & W. 48th Sts.). A little perseverance goes a long not Parks’ fault all the time. They have way with department bureaucrats, limited resources. They are pulled according to committee member Jean- politically by this and that, but if you Daniel Noland, who gave the commit-T:8.75”have somebody who persists eventual-

ly you get something done.” Several million dollars in funding secured by former City Councilmember Christine Quinn will overhaul both sites. Construction will begin at Hell’s Kitchen Park as soon as next month. Planned work includes the reconstruction of pavement, fences, plantings and plumbing. The project to construct Matthews-Palmer Playground, meanwhile, is currently in the design stage, which will likely conclude at about the same time. Work will likely begin early next spring and take about one year to finish, according to the department. In the meantime, the installation of a simple latch rather than the current heavy bar would make a big difference in ensuring that those entering and leaving the playground properly close the gate, according to Eliyanna Kaiser, who often brings her two young sons there. She told the committee that adults crowding the children’s play area, as well as drug use at the park, threatens the family-friendly ambience.

Continued on page 17

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SMELL A GAS LEAK IS NOTHING. Smell gas. Act fast. Don’t assume someone else will call 911 or 1-800-75-CONED (26633). Leave the area immediately and make the call yourself. You can report a gas-related emergency anonymously, and not even be there when help arrives. For more gas safety information, visit conEd.com and take safety into your own hands.

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May 21 - 27, 2015

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Continued Privatization Challenged by Postal Workers Continued from page 1 president of the New York Metro Area Postal Union. There are certain notions about the postal service that they are trying to dispel, Smith said as he handed out flyers, including “not one tax dollar goes to the postal service.” The USPS has cut overnight delivery and shuttered mail processing centers — and the effects can be seen. According to the USPS’ own recent assessment, it has taken longer for first-class mail to reach its destination. Smith said that what used to take one day now takes two, and what used to take two now takes three days. The postal workers are also concerned about the outsourcing of some functions to corporations, such as Staples. Smith told Chelsea Now this was a calculated plan against the middle class and a way to finish off the union. “This is about big business,” he said. “This is about privatization. This is about greed. The post office does not belong to the politicians, it belongs to the people.” Those gathered held signs with slogans such as “I stand with postal workers;” “Good postal service! Good jobs! Good

contract!;” and “Keep ’Em Open! It’s a community right.” The Chelsea community and elected officials fought hard to keep the Old Chelsea Station open and are concerned about the USPS’ air rights sale above the historic building at 217 W. 18th St. Diane Erlanger has worked for the postal service for the past 25 years and has been a part of the union for 15 years. She asked those passing by to sign a postcard that was addressed to Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan. Brennan became postmaster and CEO on Feb. 1. The postcard said, in part, “I stand with postal workers in the fight to keep post offices open and expand hours…prompt mail delivery, and enhanced services, such as postal banking.” Many construction workers signed the card (the Farley post office is undergoing renovations). Erlanger works at a post office on W. 42nd St. and says there are not enough clerks to take care of the customers. She said she understands customers’ dissatisfaction and encourages people to write their representatives. “This is not something that we want,” she said. “We just don’t have the time or the people.” She has experienced the longer wait time for letters, saying it took four days to

Photo by Dusica Sue Malesevic

At the May 14 rally, many construction workers assigned to renovate the Farley post office signed a postcard expressing their solidarity with the New York Metro Area Postal Union.

get a letter that had to travel 10 blocks in Manhattan. “The post office is a national treasure,” she noted and explained that what is going on now is “a ploy to destroy” it. Dennis O’Neil is a retired postal worker who still comes out to support the union and the postal service. “I believe in the postal union — more than that, I believe in the postal service,” said O’Neil, who was a postal worker for

24 years. He said there is an effort to privatize the postal service, which goes against the mandate to provide service to all American people. Another retired postal worker, John J. Dennie, said “corporate raiders” smell the postal service’s revenue and they want a bite.

Continued on page 10

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Mark Harrington, James Krellenstein, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, and Jim Eigo following a May 15 meeting of health department officials, AIDS activists, and elected officials.

Continued from page 1

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neighborhood.” Since 2007, Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen have reported the highest rate of syphilis cases in the city, with that rate being driven by new infections among gay and bisexual men. Those two neighborhoods have also reported the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses in the city, with new diagnoses among gay and bisexual men also the driver. Those neighborhoods also have high rates of gonorrhea and hepatitis C. “The other thing we found out is that the city doesn’t have a plan to address the syphilis epidemic,” said Mark Harrington, executive director of the Treatment Action Group, an advocacy organization. “They have to have a clear syphilis response. They don’t.” With the Chelsea clinic getting the most visits every year among the city’s nine sexually transmitted disease clinics, that facility, which closed on March 21, was expected to be a significant resource in the Plan to End AIDS in New York. That plan, which was endorsed by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo over the past year, will reduce new HIV infections from the current roughly 3,000 annually to 750 a year by 2020. The high volume of visits at the Chelsea clinic was an opportunity to identify LGBT New Yorkers who are candidates for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which involves HIV-negative people taking anti-HIV drugs to keep them uninfected. PrEP is a major component of the plan. The Chelsea clinic identified more

newly HIV-infected people, called acute HIV infections, than any other clinic. People with acute HIV infections often do not know they are infected and because they are highly infectious, they make a substantial contribution to new HIV infections. Identifying those people and treating them with anti-HIV drugs keeps them healthy and reduces new HIV infections. Treatment as prevention (TasP) among all HIV-positive people, including those with acute infection, is also a major component of the plan. “We’re going to miss a lot of people who are in acute infection and we’re going to miss a lot of people who are candidates for PrEP,” said Jim Eigo, a member of ACT UP New York. Krellenstein said department staffers disclosed in the meeting that the closure had been planned since 2007. Department of Buildings records show that the $17-million renovation was well advanced in 2014, with the project getting nine of 10 permits approved between February and December. The agency has placed a sign on the outside of the Chelsea clinic that refers people to its clinic on W. 100th St., and its website sends people to that other location. The health department has not responded to a request from our sister publication, Gay City News, for the number of visits to each clinic for the month of April for 2015, 2014, and 2013, so it is unknown whether the W. 100th St. clinic or any others are picking up the slack created by the Chelsea facility’s closure. Since AIDS and community groups began pressuring the agency to replace

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By His Own Hands and On His Own Terms Continued from page 1 the restrictions accompanying a more standard domicile where his work has previously led to conflict with landlords and neighbors alike. He still dreams of securing the combination of shop and home that has eluded him for two decades. “I’d rather have a workshop with a bed than an apartment,” he said. His words and actions indicate he will readily take his chances on the streets in the absence of such an ideal situation.

pieces fill the gaps created by the curvatures of the body. He created the trailer as well without the aid of power tools. The lack of a workbench is another reason for improvisation. Carving and other precise work requires the aid of a nearby tree or a trusty foot for the purposes of rigidity. Conscious of the need to keep the place tidy, his tools and possessions all fit into the 20 square feet within the trailer he made. It has enough space to sleep and keeps him comfortable enough with the aid of a tarpaulin installed up top and insula-

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May 21 - 27, 2015

Photo by Zach Williams

Randy Morris, seen here with dog walker Alex Middleton of Brooklyn, receives help from neighborhood regulars who bring food, money and conversation.

That is precisely what happened in the mid-1990s when he lost a bicycle shop on Eighth Ave. in Chelsea to the pressures of business and a romance gone sour. He previously had another shop in the neighborhood, as well in Tribeca on Franklin St., he said. But he decided to pursue his work in the only way that seemed available after his last business closed. “I made another guitar and decided to do the homeless thing,” he said. Over the years he has made about 20 guitars with evolving acumen. Some he sold. Some he lost. His newest electric “jazz box” features the pickup and tail piece of an Ibanez guitar with the neck and fretboard of an unknown, cheaper brand. The rest mostly comes from discarded bits of wood found during scavenging hunts, resulting in a striped formation of different grains. Smaller

tion created from cardboard screwed into a wooden framework forming a hollow wall. A small stack of grey bricks serves as a stove where he cooks with the aid of a blowtorch. He seldom ventures far from camp lest it appear abandoned and subject to confiscation by the city, or robbery by others on the streets. Unlike many of them, Morris does not struggle with drug abuse, alcoholism, or mental illness, he said. Nonetheless, the resulting stereotypes of homeless are true, he added, necessitating that he follow a code of behavior that differentiates himself from them. Otherwise, he could be forced to leave the area and start all over again. Asking for money is not his method of operation though he accepts offers.

Continued on page 18 .com

Coffee Party Brews Citizens United Battle BY DONATHAN SALKALN (CRDC Executive Board Communications Chair) Rarely has a Supreme Court decision indirectly affected middle class and low-income Americans more than that of Citizens United. The ruling has created corporate and wealth driven Super PACs — which have, in turn, changed the political landscape into one-sided, mud-slinging and multi-media beat-downs of opposing candidates (more often than not, Democrats). The Chelsea Reform Democratic Club’s April meeting at Hudson Guild’s Chelsea/Elliott Community Center (441 W. 26th St.) listened to a battle-tested group called the Big Apple Coffee Party, who is entrenched in their fifth year of advocating the inequalities and injustices of the Citizens United verdict. The 2010 Supreme Court ruling, in essence, now allows unlimited antes at the political poker table. Special interests with big stacks of money have since taken up all the table’s seats, leaving the average Joe (and Jeanine) out in the parking lot. “The Supreme Court came to a decision that fundamentally altered campaign financing and the people’s ability to control corporate influences of elected officials,” said Penny Mintz, Esq., one of three Coffee Party representatives that spoke. “We want to stem the corruption that results when corporations are able to spend all this money to essentially buy candidates.” With little hope of a Constitutional Amendment to overturn Citizens United (it requires a two-thirds vote from both houses of Congress) or an act by the Supreme Court in admitting to their own mistake (“It’s not going to happen in our lifetime,” says Mintz), the Big Apple Coffee Party has waged their campaign on the streets. Armed with ‘Don’t do Koch’ flyers promoting the boycott of products made by the Koch brother’s company, Georgia Pacific, Coffee Party activists engage shoppers outside of supermarkets. Their strategy has been to disband Citizens United, one citizen at a time. It doesn’t hurt that at a quick glance, their handout flyer appears to be a sheet of store coupons. Sally Swisher, a founding member of the Big Apple Coffee Party noted, “The flyering not only works toward getting money out .com

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Sally Swisher talks about the Big Apple Coffee Club’s boycott. BECOMING ANOTHER: THE POWER OF MASKS NOW ON VIEW 150 WEST 17TH STREET NYC 10011 of politics, it opens discussion and RUBINMUSEUM.ORG demonstrates what democracy can and Top: Noh Mask in a Silk Case (detail); Japan; 17th century; wood, lacquer; 5 should be.” The group even coordinat1/4 x 8 1/4 in. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt in memory of Kermit Roosevelt, 44.192.1, Right: Still from Storm Over Tibet ed a simultaneous supermarket flyering campaign in 10 states, teaming up with other Coffee Party chapters and RMA-0036-ChelseaNow_May21_4.29x5.69_v1.indd 1 sympathetic groups. “It was the most exciting thing,” recalled Swisher. Although the Coffee Party can trace their roots to coffee houses in pre-revolutionary times, back when the East India Company was selling highly taxed British tea, these activists are not drinking mugs of java, followed by loading muskets. Says Jonathan Riess, 25-year “money veteran” as a Wall Street global investment manager, “We are committed to diversity and civil discourse, acting independently of political parties, corporations and political lobbying networks.” Big Apple Coffee Party meets every second Thursday at You may be eligible if you are: the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew • HIV positive (86th St. & West End Ave.), where • Between the ages of 18-65 they organize and strategize while • On ART with undetectable viral also discussing related issues, such as load the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the • Do not have Hepatitis B or C impact that mega-foundations have on the democracy. Participation involves: During the presentation, the meet• Receiving investigational antibody ings moderator, CRDC Exec. VP Judy • Blood work Richheimer had to check the refreshment table to see if any boycott prodCompensation is provided for participation. ucts were on display. Thankfully not!

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Rhymes With Crazy THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Publisher

Jennifer Goodstein

Editor Scott Stiffler

Editorial Assistant Sean Egan

Art Director Michael Shirey

Graphic Designers Andrew Gooss Chris Ortiz

Web Master Troy Masters

Contributors Stephanie Buhmann Sean Egan Michael Lydon Dusica Sue Malesevic Winnie McCroy Puma Perl Paul Schindler Trav S.D. Eileen Stukane Zach Williams

Executive VP of Advertising Amanda Tarley

Account Executives Jack Agliata Allison Greaker Jennifer Holland Jim Steele Julio Tumbaco Published by

NYC Community Media, LLC

One Metrotech North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Phone: (212) 229-1890 Fax: (212) 229-2790 www.chelseanow.com scott@chelseanow.com © 2015 NYC Community Media, LLC

Member of the New York Press Association Chelsea Now is published biweekly by NYC Community Media LLC, One Metrotech North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. (212) 229-1890. Annual subscription by mail in Manhattan and Brooklyn $75. The entire contents of newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher - © 2015 NYC Community Media LLC, Postmaster: Send address changes to Chelsea Now, One Metrotech North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR: The Publisher shall

not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue.

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May 21 - 27, 2015

Our Deepest Fear and the Lasting Legacy of Etan BY LENORE SKENAZY As we settle in to the reality that we will probably never know what happened to Etan Patz after he disappeared that May morning in 1979, maybe we can finally come to terms with the legacy the crime left behind. The legacy of constant, crippling fear. I promise I won’t only be writing columns about helicopter parenting, but indulge me this once, because of the circumstances. You see, a reporter who called me for comment after the Patz trial ended in a hung jury asked me the question that I get asked, one way or another, all the time. Sometimes the question comes from parents trying to feel less anxious. Sometimes it is asked by the media, trying to stir that anxiety up. Either way, it is this: “What would you say to parents who are interested in letting their kids walk home from the park but are too nervous that their child might be the next Etan?” Oh, so much. … Parents afraid that their child might be the “next Etan” are understandably fearful, since we have been hearing about this case for 36

years. It is our New York catechism. We have been trained to reflexively picture the saddest possible fate — basically, Etan’s — before we let our kids do anything on their own. I call this “worst-first thinking” — thinking up the worst-case scenario first, and proceeding as if it is likely to happen. It is depressing. It is paralyzing. And it isn’t really keeping our kids any safer. Too see why, try this: Imagine if, 36 years ago, a child — call him Frederick — had died falling down the stairs. It is a rare way to die, but it happens. Now imagine that Frederick’s case had received inordinate media attention. Article after article. Television story after television story. “Remembering Frederick” would be the headline on the cover of People magazine, and the name of a docudrama. But would it make sense for parents to feel heart-stopping fear every time their kids wanted to walk down the stairs? Of course not. One terrible, tragic case that happened when a child was doing something that is generally very safe and normal should not change the way we go about everyday life.

Certainly not for 36 years. We would have to try to keep it in perspective. After all, since 1979, 120 million Americans have been 6 years old and not appeared on the cover of People, because nothing bad happened to them. That is a hard perspective to keep in our predator-obsessed society. But a couple of things help me. One is this: For my book, “Free-Range Kids,” I asked the British author Warwick Cairns to solve this problem for me: “How long would you have to leave a child outside, unattended, for it to be statistically likely that the child would be kidnapped by a stranger?” This is sort of like asking, “How many lottery tickets would you have to buy to be statistically likely to win the jackpot?” He crunched the

numbers and responded: It is 600,000 years. And after the first 100,000 years or so, your child isn’t technically a kid anymore. Another calming thought is that there has never been a safer time to be a child in America, and New York is particularly safe. Our city’s crime rate is actually below the national average. And if we’re talking murders (which we are), there were 328 homicides in our city last year — “the lowest number since at least 1963, when reliable statistics were first kept,” according to The New York Times. That means that walking to school, playing in the park, and waiting at the bus stop are safer for our kids than when we were kids and our parents let us go outside. So, we can live in fear of very rare, very random events that we can’t possibly predict in the course of everyday life. Or we can remember the best aphorism anyone ever sent to my blog: “All the worry in the world doesn’t prevent death. It prevents life.” Lenore Skenazy is a public speaker and founder of the book and blog Free-Range Kids (freerangekids.com).

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Horray for Hurricane Gloria Re “Gloria Sukenick Awarded for Activism” (feature, May 7, 2015): To The Editor: Thank you so much for the piece on the amazing Gloria Sukenick. Gloria has long been an asset to our community and it has been my pleasure to work with her for nearly 15 years. Your excellent article omitted Gloria’s long involvement with the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club as Executive Committee member and Housing Committee chair. In these roles, Gloria was very active during the recent West Chelsea rezoning and was an energetic advocate for legislation that would have mandated 30 percent affordable housing in any new developments that benefited from that rezoning — long before Mayor De

Blasio was talking about a similar policy. You capture her energy perfectly. This is a woman who closes every email with the admonition to “keep fighting.” And she does, serving as a powerful example for the rest of us. Steven Skyles-Mulligan District Leader, Chelsea Reform Democratic Club E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to Scott@ChelseaNow.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to Chelsea Now, Letters to the Editor, NYC Community Media, One Metrotech North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. Chelsea Now reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Chelsea Now does not publish anonymous letters. .com

POLICE BLOTTER MISSING: Local woman last seen May 4 The NYPD is seeking assistance in locating Nancy Molina, 46. She was last seen at about noon on Mon., May 4. She is five feet, six inches tall and weighs approximately 180 pounds, according to police. Her permanent address is on the 500 block of W. 42nd St. Anyone with knowledge of her location should contact NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-TIPS.

HOMICIDE: Death at the Hilton A 911 call led police to the body of Roderick Goodwin, 28, on Mon., May 18. Injuries were found to the back of his head after police found the New Jersey resident under a mattress just after 4 p.m. that day. He was unconscious and unresponsive within the Hilton Garden Inn at 63 W. 35th St. (near the intersection with Avenue of the Americas). He was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital. Police consider his death a homicide but have made no arrests thus far during the ongoing investigation.

PETIT LARCENY: Not her bicycle anymore An 18-year-old purportedly got a strange offer from a thief on Sat., May 16 when she emerged from shopping at a Whole Foods located at 250 Seventh Ave. She found at about 4 p.m. that her red Bria bicycle had been replaced by a blue Citi Bike. A police report did not state what became of the latter bike, but the $600 Bria disappeared with little trace except for surveillance footage in front of the supermarket.

ASSAULT: Man makes cabbie pay for undesired drop-off A man evidently did not like where a cab took him on Sun., May 17. Police say that he punched the driver multiple times just before 1 a.m. that morning after not taking kindly to where he was dropped off (near the north east corner of 10th Ave. & W. 15th St.). The 44-year-old victim suffered a swollen face, cuts and plenty of bruises. A witness followed the 23-year-old attacker until police arrived and arrested the man for misdemeanor assault. .com

IDENTITY THEFT: Roommates find they owe Barney’s $24k

Two residents of an apartment on the 300 block of W. 17th St. reported to police last week that someone went on a luxury shopping spree in their names. A 28-year-old man told police that a bill arrived on May 12 from Barney’s stating that he had an outstanding balance of $19,923.21 on a store credit card for which he never applied. The bill was addressed to his name and his parents’ address. The next day, his 31-year-old roommate reported that she received a store credit card bill totaling $2,475.17. She didn’t apply for such a credit line, according to a police report. This time though, the perpetrator got the current address correct. The purchases appeared to be made on April 12 and April 30. No arrests have been made in connection to the felony identity thefts.

WE’VE GONE WEEKLY

—ZACH WILLIAMS

THE 10th PRECINCT Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.). Commander: Deputy Inspector Michele Irizarry. Main number: 212-741-8211. Community Affairs: 212-741-8226. Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226. Domestic Violence: 212-741-8216. Youth Officer: 212741-8211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-741-8210. Detective Squad: 212-741-8245. The Community Council meets on the last Wed. of the month, 7 p.m., at the 10th Precinct or other locations to be announced. The next meeting is May 27.

CASH FOR GUNS $100 cash will be given (no questions asked) for each handgun, assault weapon or sawedoff shotgun, up to a maximum payment of $300. Guns are accepted at any Police Precinct, PSA or Transit District.

CRIME STOPPERS If you have info regarding a crime committed or a wanted person, call Crime Stoppers at 800-577TIPS, text “TIP577” (plus your message) to “CRIMES” (274637) or submit a tip online at nypdcrimestoppers.com.

EXCITING THINGS ARE HAPPENING & WE WANT YOU TO BE PART OF IT EXPANDED WEEKLY DISTRIBUTION FROM 14 TH STREET TO 57 TH STREET ASK ABOUT BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS TO TELL YOUR STORY NEW EXPANDED ARTS COVERAGE

ADS@CHELSEANOW.COM 718.260.8340 May 21 - 27, 2015

9

‘Day of Action’ Rally to Realize Union Concerns Continued from page 3

Photo by Dusica Sue Malesevic

Retired postal worker John J. Dennie, said “corporate raiders” smell the postal service’s revenue and want a bite.

Dennie worked for the service for 28 years and retired in 2001 but comes out anytime that he can. The privatization of the postal service has been going on for a while, he said, but lately it seems as if it is “on steroids,” also pointing to the deal with Staples. According to Dennie, post offices have had their hours cut, which encourages people to go to Staples. What is going on is “pure and simple union busting,” he said. “The public suffers and the workers suffer.” Kevin Walsh said that the postal workers are trying to garner support from the community and the public. “It’s taking a lot longer for people to get their mail,” said Walsh, who is the director of organization for the New York Metro Area Postal Union.

The delay affects the elderly, disabled, people waiting for medicine in the mail, those trying to pay bills and elections, said Walsh, who wants to bring service standards back to where they were in July 2012. There was no need to lower standards, he explained. The public sees the window clerks and carriers and they blame them, but this is the fault of those in Washington making decisions, he said. “We care about the community.” As Chelsea Now went to press on May 20, Walsh said it looked likely that the union’s contract would expire at midnight. However, it will still be valid while negotiations continue. He turned to look at the steps of the Farley station, now under the state’s purview, and said when they used to be in charge of maintenance, the steps were cleaned everyday — but that is just another aspect of the job that has been lost.

Temporary Solution Sought Outside Shuttered Chelsea Clinic Continued from page 4 the services, the health department has arranged for six non-profits to deploy mobile testing vans outside the Chelsea clinic location five days a week. The health department will seek $520,000 from City Hall to pay for that. Advocates said that $1 million was a more realistic number. The request for that cash will go to Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, the deputy mayor for health and human services. Johnson said he had spoken with Barrios-Paoli, and she was supportive. “I personally spoke with her and she is committed to getting a solution,” he told Gay City News.

The agency will also explore placing a trailer for services outside the clinic during construction, and Johnson is going to ask the city’s Department of Design and Construction, which is managing the renovation, if the job can be expedited. Johnson was more charitable than the advocates, pointing out that, since 2008, the health department had investigated 80 alternative sites to provide services during the renovation, but none were suitable. Asked if the health department did not plan for the closing, he said, “That’s not my impression. I think the planning could have been better.” Also attending were State Senator Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Dick Gottfried. Both represent Chelsea.

Photo by Duncan Osborne, courtesy Gay City News

Dr. Sue Blank, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, and Dr. Jay Varma, with Mark Harrington in the background after the May 15 meeting.

A number of AIDS and health groups were also represented at the meeting, including Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Housing Works, Harlem United, the

Asian Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/ AIDS (APICHA), the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. Health department staff included Dr. Jay Varma, who oversees disease control, Dr. Sue Blank, who manages sexually transmitted disease programs, and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who runs the department’s HIV prevention unit. Blank and Daskalakis declined to comment following the meeting. Johnson said the meeting was generally cordial. “I think there were moments with it being heated,” he said. “By and large, people were trying to be practical…[The health department] was not defensive.”

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May 21 - 27, 2015

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Bridal Fashion Bridal Center

7233 Amboy Road, Staten Island, (718) 227-8647 www.alwaysabridesmaidboutique.com

Bridal StyleS Boutique

905 Ave. U, Brooklyn, (718) 339–3222, www.bridalstylesboutique.com

ultimate FaShionS

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7905 5th Ave. in Brooklyn, (718) 333–5041 or (646) 712–4084, www.bridaldreamsmall.com

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adria hotel & ConFerenCe Center 221-17 Northern Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361 (718) 631-5900, www.adriahotelny.com

Bay ridge manor

476 76th St., Brooklyn, (718) 748–8855, www.bayridgemanor.com

ParadiSe Catering hall

51 Avenue U, Brooklyn, NY 11223 (718) 372-4352, www.theparadisecateringhall.com

PinkBerry Catering

malSonS JeWelerS

464 86th Street, Brookly, NY 11209 5144 Kings Plaza Mall (718) 491-6666, www.malsonsjewelers.com

Locations through Manhattan and in Park Slope 161 Seventh Ave., Brooklyn NY 11215 (718) 788-0615, www.pinkberry.com/store-locator/

tivoli JeWelerS

queenS BotaniCal garden

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43-50 Main Street, Flushing, NY 11355 (718) 886-3800 X 201 www.queensbotanical.org/weddingsandevents

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7319 5th Avenue, Bay Ridge, NY 11029 (718) 836-5600, www.schnitzelhausny.com

SiriCo’S

8015 23 13th Ave., Brooklyn (718) 331–2900, www.siricoscaterers.net

the vanderBilt at South BeaCh

300 Father Capodanno Blvd., Staten Island (718) 447–0800, www.vanderbiltsouthbeach.com

viSta PenthouSe Ballroom

27-05 39th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101 Mike Bekker; Events Manager, (917) 602-602-8408 mike@vistany.com, www.vistany.com

Woodhaven manor

96-01 Jamaica Ave, Woodhaven, NY 11421 (718) 805-8500, www.woodhavenmanorny.com

Lodging

327 Graham Ave. in Brooklyn, (718) 384–1305, www.tivolijewelers.com

m&v limouSineS

1117 Jericho Tpke. Commack, NY 11725 (800) 498-5788, www.mvlimo.com

mila limouSine CorPoration (718) 232–8973, www.milalimo.com

romantique/douBle diamond limouSineS 1421-86 Street, Brooklyn (718) 351-7273 2041-Hylan Blvd., Staten island (718) 351-7273 www.rddlimos.com

Sergi’S Party limo

171-15A Northern Blvd, Queens, NY 11358 (718)353-5466, (212) 682-4040, (516) 489-4040 Toll Free: (888) 546-6134, (888) LIMO-134 Fax: (718) 353-5499, info@sergislimo.com www.sergislimo.com

Photography & Video FantaSy PhotograPhy

3031 Quentin Rd., Brooklyn (718) 998–0949, www.fantasyphotographyandvideo.com

BuCkley’S

adria hotel and ConFerenCe Center 221-17 Northern Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361 www.adriahotelny.com

glamour me Photo & video

2926 Ave. S, Brooklyn (718) 998-4222, www.buckleyscaterers.com

CaSa PePe reStaurant

Entertainment

one Fine day PhotograPherS

114 Bay Ridge Ave. in Brooklyn, (718) 833–8865, www.casapepe.com

ediBle arrangementS

amazing Bottle danCerS

(800) 716-0556, pasproductions@yahoo.com www.bottledancers.com

104-12 111th St., South Richmond Hill (888) 400–2738 or (718) 504–1970, www.glamourmestudio.com

459 Pacific St., Massapequa Park (516) 690–1320 www.onefinedayphotographers.com

Salons

133-22 Springfield Blvd. (718) 528-3344 158-18 Cross Bay Blvd. (718) 848-3344 1357 Fulton St. (718) 622-3344 1557 Ralph Ave. (718) 451-3344 www.ediblearrangements.com/stores/StoreLocator.aspx

e-Squared ProduCtionS/ 360 entertainment

4308 Richmond Ave. in Staten Island or 1665 Bath Ave in Brooklyn, (718) 227–3235, www.e2dj.com

350 New Dorp Lane, Staten Island NY 10306 (718) 979-9000 www.afbennett.com

el CariBe Country CluB CatererS

Florists

going in Style

5945 Strickland Ave. in Brooklyn, (718) 531–1200, www.elcaribecaterers.com

Fort hamilton Community CluB

207 Sterling Dr., Brooklyn, NY 11208, (718) 765-7368, www.hamiltonmwr.com/community-club.php

glen terraCe

5313 Ave. N, Brooklyn (718) 252–4614

grand oakS Country CluB 200 Huguenot Ave., Staten Island (718) 356–2771, www.grandoaksnyc.com

grand ProSPeCt hall

263 Prospect Ave., Brooklyn (718) 788–0777, www.grandprospecthall.com

greenhouSe CaFe

7717 Third Ave., Brooklyn (718) 833–8200, www.greenhousecafe.com

il Fornetto

2902 Emmons Ave. in Brooklyn, (718) 332–8494, www.ilfornettorestaurant.com

kennedy’S Breezy Point

406 Bayside, Rockaway Point, NY 11697 (718) 945-0202, www.kennedysbreezypoint.com

marBella reStaurant

220-33 Northwern Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 (718) 423-0100, www.marbella-restaurant.com

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Contact Dyker Beach Golf Course at (718) 836–9722 x 1 or Pelham Bay & Split Rock Golf Course at (718) 885–1258 x 229, www.dykerbeachgc.com

13th avenue FloriSt

7806 13th Ave in Brooklyn, (718) 236–9088, www.13thaveflorist.com, www.13aveweddings.com

18th avenue FloriSt

6114 18th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. 11204, (718) 256-7434 henrysflorist.gmail.com, www.18thaveflowers.com

Floral FantaSy

3031 Quentin Rd. in Brooklyn, (718) 998–7060 or (800) 566–8380, www.floralfantasyny.com

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8103 Fifth Ave. in Brooklyn, (800) 543–6797 or (718) 238–3838, www.henrysfloristweddingevents.com

marine FloriSt and deCoratorS

1995 Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, (800) 447–6730 or (718) 338–3600, www.marineflorists.com

Jewelry

Benny’S JeWelry

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CaSh For gold

2619 86th Street, Brooklyn, New York 216-17 Merrick Boulevard, Springfield Gardens, NY Phone: (718) 339-4653, Fax: (718) 975-0952 Email: info@cashforgoldbk.com, cashforgoldbk.com/location-2, cashforgoldbk.com/contact-us

FortunoFF JeWelry

1504 Old Country Road in Westbury, NY. 11590 (800) 636-7886, www.fortunoffjewelry.com

aF Bennett Salon

8205-3 Ave, Brookly, NY 11209, (718) 748-2200,

Pilo artS Salon

8412 3rd Ave., Brooklyn (718) 748–7411 www.piloarts.com

reveal yourSelF Beauty Salon 1669 Richmond Road, Staten Island, NY 10304 www.revealbeautysalon.com

Salon malave

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omni dental Care

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Wedding Expos

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Bridal aFFair

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May 21 - 27, 2015

11

NYPD Identifies Suspect in Dallas BBQ Assault in Chelsea BY PAUL SCHINDLER The New York Police Department has identified the suspect sought in connection with an assault on two gay men at the Dallas BBQ in Chelsea on May 5. According to multiple media reports, the man named by the NYPD is Bayna El-Amin, 41, who was previously arrested a total of 18 times –– on charges including assault, shoplifting, drug possession, credit-card fraud, forgery, and possession of stolen property –– in New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Michigan, as well as New York. According to the New York Daily News, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said El-Amin is suspected of having fled the state. The department’s public information officer did not immediately return a request from our sister publication, Gay City News, to confirm the information reported in other media. The NYPD released a photo and video footage of the suspect on May 7, two days after the attack. The release described the man sought as a light-skinned black man wearing a black blazer and a white shirt. A photo still from the release appears to be from a security camera, presumably in the restaurant, and is time-stamped at 10:20 p.m. on May 5, roughly 45 minutes before the man was caught on amateur video slamming a chair over the heads of 25-year-old Ethan York-Adams and his 32-year-old boyfriend, Jonathan Snipes. That assault occurred at the end of roughly a minute in which Snipes was twice seen on the floor as his assailant, a large, bald and bearded man, appeared to be kicking him. The scene was captured in a video that Isaam Sharef, a customer at Dallas BBQ, uploaded to his Instagram and YouTube pages in the hours after the assault. Snipes sustained bruises and cuts to the right side of his face and head, including a long gash running from his ear. York-Adams was brought to the ground when hit by the chair, while Snipes sat down and appeared dazed. As the melee unfolded, others in the restaurant broke it up on two separate occasions, with people holding the attacker back and York-Adams trying to steer Snipes away. Screams and cries of “stop, stop” from the crowd can be heard throughout the video.

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May 21 - 27, 2015

Courtesy NYPD via Gay City News

A photo released by the NYPD of a man police now identify as Bayna El-Amin, 41, wanted in connection with a May 5 assault on two gay men at the Dallas BBQ in Chelsea.

Courtesy Gay City News

State Senator Brad Hoylman among activists flyering the Dallas BBQ on May 8.

Snipes and police both said the two men declined medical attention after an ambulance arrived on the scene at 23rd St. on Eighth Ave. Snipes’ mother, Trish Snipes — who spoke to Gay City News from her home in Alabama — said her son was concerned about the cost of emergency room care, which he understood would consist primarily of overnight observation for a concussion. She expressed concern, however, that he might lose some teeth, which she said were loosened in the assault. Snipes told DNAinfo.com that the attack began when he accidentally knocked over a drink and, “a table

near us audibly started making pretty gross comments about the two of us like, ‘White faggots, spilling drinks.’” Snipes said he then confronted the men, and a fight ensued. Hours after Gay City News posted an initial story about the attack on the evening of May 6, however, Sharef sent a message to the newspaper saying, “Snipes didn’t go to the table to confront him. He went over and punched the guy in the face. Then the guy got up and attacked him.” Neither Snipes nor York-Adams responded to online and telephone requests for comment. Sharef did not respond to a follow-up question as to

whether he witnessed anything before what he described as Snipes’ first punch. Though the NYPD, in the immediate aftermath of the incident, would only confirm that two assault complaints had been filed and an investigation was ongoing, Sharon Stapel, the executive director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, told Gay City News the incident was being investigated as bias-related by the department’s Hate Crimes Task Force. Snipes’ mother told Gay City News that her son told her that a waitress at Dallas BBQ, whom she described as having a ponytail, urged the attacker to “hurry up and leave before the police arrive.” The man in the video is seen leaving the restaurant immediately after smashing the chair over Snipes and York-Adams’ heads. Eric Levine, whom the restaurant identified as its spokesperson for the incident, did not return an email seeking comment on the attack and the allegation that an employee may have helped the attacker elude capture. On May 8, State Senator Brad Hoylman and City Councilmember Corey Johnson, both out gay Democrats who represent the neighborhood, joined a group of activists, including members of the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, in flyering outside the Dallas BBQ about what they termed a hate crime. Asked if they were concerned about the allegation that Snipes in fact threw the first punch, Johnson noted that the NYPD, which presumably knows more about the incident than anyone else, was treating the matter as a bias crime. “The NYPD takes these types of incidents very seriously,” said Johnson. “At this time, they have determined this to be a hate crime… This was a brutal, out-of-control attack. That’s unacceptable.” “The details as we know them have shaken a lot of members of our community,” Hoylman said. “We need to let Chelsea know that we’re standing alongside the victims.” Anyone with information about the Dallas BBQ attack or knowledge of El-Amin’s whereabouts can call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers at 646-6106806, visit NYPDCrimeStoppers.com, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES), and then enter TIP577, or can call the AVP’s 24-hour hotline at 212-7141141.

—Additional reporting by Duncan Osborne .com

What Was, What Is, What Will Be

Photo by Jennifer Holland

Photo by Adam Fredericks

SWEET REWARD FOR BEST BEAN COUNTER

AIDS WALK NEW YORK AT 30

May 17: Our Executive VP of Advertising, Amanda Tarley, waves to the 9th Avenue International Food Fest crowd and invites them to estimate how many jelly beans are in the jar. By using a clever calculating method, the best guess came within just a few dozen of the actual amount, and the winner claimed an iPad as his reward. No beans were harmed in the execution of this contest. For info on the event sponsor (The Ninth Avenue Association), visit 9thave.org.

L to R: Gay Men’s Health Crisis CEO Kelsey Louie and AIDS Walk New York founder Craig Miller, in front of the total from this past Sunday’s event. More than 30,000 participated in the 10-kilometer walk — including Chelsea Now Art Director Michael Shirey, who

raised over $500. This 30th annual walk bucked the national trend of declining returns on AIDS walks, by besting last year’s total. The funds raised will benefit Gay Men’s Health Crisis and 40 other vital AIDS service organizations throughout the tri-state area.

Courtesy Flatiron Partnership

FREE WiFi IN THE FLATIRON DISTRICT In a smooth move well-timed for the warmer weather, free WiFi in the Flatiron District has expanded from isolated hot spots to a genuine corridor. Recently, the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership Business Improvement District announced the completion of wireless availability along 23rd St. from Sixth Ave. to Park Ave. South; along Fifth Ave. from 25th St. to 21st St.; along Broadway from 24th St. to 21st St.; and 21st St. btw. Fifth Ave. and Broadway. The new corridor expands the Flatiron Partnership’s WiFi network in the Public Plazas at Broadway, Fifth Ave. and 23rd St. This project, notes Flatiron Partnership .com

executive director Jennifer Brown, “is significant to anyone with a smartphone or tablet who works in, lives in or visits the neighborhood, and illustrates our reputation as a hub of technology and innovation.” At their annual meeting (5 p.m. on June 11), the Partnership will recognize property owners and commercial businesses who assisted in creating the corridor. RSVP to 2015flatironbidannualmeeting.eventbrite.com. For more info on area events and BID activities, visit FlatironDistrict.nyc or email info@flatironbid.org. Facebook: flatirondistrict.nyc/facebook. Twitter & Instagram: @FlatironNY.

Photo by Jenny Rubin

IT’S MY PARK DAY IN HELL’S KITCHEN Every year, Clinton Housing hosts a free spring event for community members to connect and have fun — and this year, they’ve decided to center it around one of the largest public green spaces in Hell’s Kitchen. “It’s My Park Day” is a free public gathering offering games, gardening, food, music, and crafts. Between these and other family-friendly activities, talk to a rep from Clinton Housing and share your ideas for bringing new energy, design and attention to this neighborhood gem. It all happens 11 a.m.–3 p.m. on Sat., May 30, at DeWitt Clinton Park (W. 52nd St. to W. 54th St., 11th to 12th Ave.). For more info, call 212-967-1644 or send an email to cultivate@clintonhousing.org or visit cultivatehkny.org. May 21 - 27, 2015

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The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce & Chelsea Now Support

The

n e p O s i ge

a l l i V t s Ea

ness i s u b e illag V t s a E last e b t i e r h o t v y r fa ed b u t o c y e ff p a o Sh hose t t r o p p and su

T

he “East Village Loves� campaign is conceived by the East Village Independant Merchants Association (EVIMA) and encourages residents and visitors to shop local at their favorite East Village spots. Many businesses affected by the blast have re-opened and are ready for your visit.

The campaign is a celebration of the rich, diverse, and historic neighborhood in lower manhattan, characterized by a concentration of mom-and-pop establishments that are becoming less common throughout the city

#EastVillageLoves evimanyc.org

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May 21 - 27, 2015

.com

a veteran remembers

Andernach and The Rhine Maiden BY SPECIALIST (T/5) CORPORAL FREDERICK (RICK) CARRIER I woke up at 5 a.m. and lay wideawake thinking about where I was and smiled. I was in beautiful Andernach, Germany. I got up and went out on the terrace. I had a wide smile as I filled my lungs ten times with deep breaths of fresh air. The view, worth millions, made me happy. I felt like I was away from war, in Florida, on a paid vacation. Enough of this shit. We’ve got a war to win here and I’ve a job right now helping to win it. The fast flowing Rhine River is like it has been for days — steady and at the same water level. I made notes. Had my morning coffee, hot black and strong. I made my regular river elevation report to Jim, a friendly HQ engineer who liked to talk and brought me up to date on the Remagen Bridge. He said the steel patches welded over the bridge made it look like old boxers losing badly, all patched up in a wheel chair. Staff Sgt. Ragsdale came in and said General Patton will soon be here floating his pontoons across. “By the way,” I asked, “how’s our Opel running? You get new tires?’’ “Yep. From our motor pool. Sgt. Smothers put them on in the night shift.” “That’s great, Rags. Let’s drive to Cologne and stock up on beer.’’ The highway to Cologne was jam-packed. Tanks, troops, refugees moseyed all along. In Cologne we found the brewery and bought two cases of beer and headed home before dark. Bad to drive at night in war zones. HQ called. They said the Remagen Bridge had fallen and pontoon systems were put across and I was to keep sending reports and Ragsdale was to report back at Headquarters. We sat sunning ourselves on the terrace, told jokes, got loaded on beer and salted pretzels until we couldn’t stand and crashed. A new sunny dawn and Rags left, and I straightened the crib, took river data, and radioed it to HQ. Went out on the terrace with my German Mauser sniper rifle with a Zeiss High Power Scope and spent the afternoon target shooting at floating river trash and scanning the eastern Rhine hilltops. I spotted AA guns firing at P51 Mustangs overhead. No hits. That evening, wearing my 1911, 45, I took a beer and sat outside watching the endless march of people and war equip.com

ment slowly moving south into our captured territory. One group got my attention. MPs guarded a section of desolate slowmoving Nazis, in tattered uniforms being hustled by cussing MPs. But the Red Cross woman tagging behind them carrying empty clanking canteens with both hands really caught my eye. What happened next made me jump. The lead MP stopped the POWs and strolled over to me, made a casual salute, and asked, “Could I get my Red Cross Maiden’s canteens filled out of that water faucet?” “Sure. Go ahead.” He waved the Red Cross over. She quickly moved to the faucet and filled her canteens. The MP carried a Schmeisser machine pistol. I asked, “Is it OK for you MPs to carry a German weapon?” “I’m a cop. No problem as long as it shoots.” He waved the Red Cross Maiden back. Smiling she winked, slowly passing. I felt a deep rustle in my groin. That night drinking beer and listening to BBC I couldn’t shake the sight of that dynamite looking Red Cross Maiden. Suddenly my ears perked. I heard the distinctive whipping rustle of an 88 swooshing low overhead. Jumping up, I dashed out the front door. It was the blackest black war night outside. I saw a bright light in a window across the street. Like starlight glowing in total blackness. Shit! That light is what AA gunners on the hill are shooting at. I had to put it out or an 88 could hit my ass. That hole in my roof was made by an 88. I cussed at some asshole who left that light on, and how now I have to

put the dammed light off before I get hit by an 88. Dashing inside I dressed for battle fast. Grabbing my special night flashlight, I hit the bricks and up the stairs of the shack across the street. Taking no chances that no one was in the room, I became a snake and lied down in dust covering the floor and gently opened the door with the muzzle of my Thompson submachine gun. WHAMMO!!! All breath gone. Red Cross Maiden stood, with legs wide apart, glaring down at me, spread out on the muddy floor. She had that same smile and wink, only this time instead of canteens her hands gripped the MP’s Schmeisser machine pistol with its muzzle pointing down at my head. Trembling I felt a pancake of soaking wet dust growing very big under my hips. Her voice was like a volcano erupting in my ears. “American soldier, I’m not a Red Cross Maiden, I’m RHINE MAIDEN.” To be continued in the June 4 edition of Chelsea Now.

Among the first group of soldiers on Utah Beach, Normandy, U.S. Army Combat Engineer Rick Carrier marched through the European Theater of France, Belgium and Germany. While behind enemy lines in 1945 on a mission to obtain strategic supplies, he became the first allied soldier to discover Buchenwald concentration camp — then helped to liberate it, alongside Patton’s Third Army. After the war, Carrier studied art at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He co-authored 1955’s “Dive, The Complete Book of Skin Diving,” then was hired personally by Howard Hughes to design underwater rigging for one of the tycoon’s Hollywood publicity stunts. This past summer, the 90-year-old (a longtime member of Chelsea Community Church) was back in Normandy for a ceremony marking the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. In October, the President of France awarded Carrier the insignia of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor — France’s highest honor.

May 21 - 27, 2015

15

CNG WEDDING GUIDE PRESENTS

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May 21 - 27, 2015

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CB4 Wants Quick Park Fixes Before Long-Term Solutions

Photo by Zach Williams

CB4 will reach out to the Parks Department to improve an entrance gate at Matthews-Palmer Playground that is often left open. The department plans to overhaul the park next year.

Continued from page 2 “That makes things tense and uncomfortable for children, particularly children of special needs who may be afraid,” she said. A similar problem reportedly afflicts Dr. Gertrude B. Kelly Playground on W. 17th St. (btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.), where exercise groups from the nearby Brick New York gym congregate. Ongoing litigation between the gym and neighborhood residents precludes the former from using their exercise facilities at 257 W. 17th St. for the time being. A representative of the gym told Chelsea Now that the gym does utilize the playground and other public spaces for workouts because of that issue. The representative then requested that further questions be submitted by email. No response was received by press time. Visitors to the playground said on May 17 that they have noticed the exercise groups but their presence has not been particularly detrimental to them or their children. Bands of teenagers dominated the jungle gym on the afternoon of May 18 shortly after the end of the school day, but no little children were present at that time. A similar situation played out at Matthews-Palmer Playground, where another group of teens loitered near the play area that day. “If I do see [exercise groups] it’s early in the morning...they don’t really intrude on the kids,” said Tiffany .com

Vargas, a resident of W. 17th St. who frequents Dr. Gertrude B. Kelly Playground. Matthews-Palmer is not perfect, but nonetheless the teenagers and other adults sitting in the play area did not prevent Sean Kirkpatrick from playing there with his two-year-old son on May 18. The Mississippi resident however conceded that his experience with the playground has only included a few visits. “For the most part, I don’t think that safety has been compromised,” he said. According to Sarah Ireland, a resident of W. 34th St., there are plenty of local teens smoking pot, using foul language and engaging in soft-core romantic activity at Hell’s Kitchen Park. But in an area of the city noticeably lacking in available public spaces, Ireland makes do. “It’s Hell’s Kitchen,” she said. “Where else will they go?” Garden volunteer Jane Greenlaw said the place can reek of marijuana smoke at times, though a truancy officer does sporadically patrol the area at Hell’s Kitchen Park. But as she considered the issue of exercise groups, and infringements on children’s play areas by adults and teens, a different nemesis emerged in the form of a little boy trampling her treasured foliage nearby. “The lack of supervision of children is the key issue,” she said after she issued a stern admonishment to the boy.

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Guitar Craftsman Lives, Works Alongside West Side Highway Continued from page 6 He’ll offer comments to pretty passing ladies in the same friendly manner he gives to anyone. Most passersby ignore him, but the neighborhood regulars will stop by for a chat. Yellow cab driver Bill Kafentzis stopped by on May 17 to offer him a bit of banter, a pack of Maverick brand cigarettes and some snacks. There was a lead on another project guitar, he told Morris. Every 15 minutes or so another person greets him, whether a local dog walker, resident or trucker driving his rig on the highway. But other times Morris said he feels like the object of curiosity from interested pedestrians who refrain from directly communicating. “This is like ‘I’m going to get your attention and then pretend you’re not here,’ ” he said. Morris remains sensitive to the notion that others find their own purposes in his plight. About five years

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ago he was a much-cited example of the success of a city nonprofit, which arranged housing for him. His talent with the guitar and personality made a good impression on donors eager to support a different approach to battling homelessness. Yet, the emphasis on getting him to live in an apartment neglected that one central truth of Morris — who desires above all to have a dedicated space for his craft, he said. So he remains alongside the West Side Highway, and is waiting for help. In the meantime he remains confident that what he has and wants ranks higher in importance than material comfort. “That’s good for some people. I have no problem with that, but for someone like myself I am a complete package. Just because I am not making lucrative income off of what I do does not mean that I am not a complete package... Unfortunately, I am not able to exercise my abilities and talents because I am not facilitated to do that here on the sidewalk.”

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Family and Community, Bound and Conflicted

‘Kin’ an intensely personal look at contemporary South Africa BY NORMAN BORDEN South African photographer Pieter Hugo’s newest book, unlike his others, is intensely personal. “Kin” is about family and about country and Hugo’s relationship with both. Photographed over the last eight years, Hugo calls this collection of color portraits, still lifes, cityscapes, and landscapes “an engagement with the failure of the South African colonial experiment and my sense of being colonial driftwood.” He says, “South Africa is such a fractured, schizophrenic, wounded and problematic place...how do you raise a family in such a conflicted society? Before getting married and having children, these questions did not trouble me, now they are more confusing.” Searching for answers, he begins by photographing what he considers “home” as both an intimate and public place. Hugo does not shrink from showing intimate pictures of his immediate family alongside those of his “kin” which include the homeless, the aimless, the elderly, a racially mixed couple, and others he felt were part of the overall narrative. Other telling photographs include a still life of a dead or dying houseplant and one entitled “Green Point Commons,” which shows a man lying near a huge tree that’s been bent over by the wind — it looks like it’s crying. Hugo’s photographs of his family show all but tell little. In the photograph of his nude wife entitled “Tamara Reynolds pregnant with our first child,” you wonder why this mother-to-be isn’t smiling or more radiant. He photographs his parents lying in bed, and in another image, we see his mother in bed recovering from her breast reduction surgery. I wonder how he felt taking that? Hugo doesn’t reveal much of himself either in his 2010 semi-nude self-portrait with his infant daughter Sophia (except for the tattoos on his chest and leg). I do like the casual pose of his bent leg on the bed, but his baby lying in

© Pieter Hugo. Courtesy of Stevenson, Cape Town/Johannesburg and Yossi Milo, New York

Pieter Hugo: “Green Point Common, Cape Town” (2013).

© Pieter Hugo. Courtesy of Stevenson, Cape Town/Johannesburg and Yossi Milo, New York

Continued on page 20 .com

Pieter Hugo: “Thoba Calvin and Tshepo Cameron Sithole-Modisane, Pretoria” (2013). May 21 - 27, 2015

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Pieter Hugo’s ‘Kin’ Digs Deep, Holds Back Continued from page 19 front of his groin looks uncomfortable. His 2014 self-portrait with his new son, Jakob, has a more hopeful air. Hugo rounds out his family album with a portrait of a black woman captioned “Ann Sallies who worked for my parents and helped raise me and my siblings.” By interspersing his family’s photographs with others from his community, Hugo provides a picture of contemporary South Africa that few outsiders could ever experience. Hugo tells it as he sees it, using a variety of imagery to document the complex challenges facing his country: its growing income inequality and history of racial segregation, its crowded cities and economic hardships. He alternates pictures of barren landscapes with well-tended gardens, abandoned mining areas with crammed cities, and the affluent with the poor. His country’s painful history is referenced with images of “The Miners’ Monument, Braamfontein” and the bas-relief entitled “The Voortrekker Monument” (The Voortrekkers were Afrikaners who helped to colonize South Africa in the 1830s and 40s). In “Kin,” Hugo portrays his homeland as a country facing an uncertain future — and many of his images support his thesis. He has created a powerful, engaging look at the rips in its society and they help you understand the mixed feelings he has about being there.

© Pieter Hugo. Courtesy of Stevenson, Cape Town/ Johannesburg and Yossi Milo, New York

Pieter Hugo: “Daniela Beukman, Milnerton” (2013).

The book ends with an image of a dark, moody sunrise — not a pretty picture in my view, but perhaps a telling one. Photographs by Pieter Hugo, short story by Ben Okri. Published by Aperture Foundation. $75.00. Visit aperture.org and Aperture Gallery and Bookstore (547 W. 27th St. Fourth Fl. btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). Norman Borden is a New Yorkbased writer and photographer. The author of more than 100 reviews for NYPhotoReview.com, he is a member of Soho Photo Gallery and ASMP. Visit normanbordenphoto.com.

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May 21 - 27, 2015

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Just Do Art BY SCOTT STIFFLER

IDEAS CITY Riffing on “The Invisible City” as its theme, this installment of the New Museum’s annual three-day event will explore transparency, surveillance, citizenship, suppression, participation, dissent, and expression — all within the context of how we strive to be a part of, disappear into, or define the ever-evolving urban centers we choose to call home. On Thurs., May 28, a daylong conference features talks, panels and discussions at Cooper Union. In “Seeing Through the Noise,” Keynote speaker Lawrence Lessig, Director, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University, addresses our increasing dependence on global-network infrastructures (government records, trading platforms, social media). Other events include “Maps for the Invisible City,” which will explore techniques for engaging citizens. Its panel includes Occupy Wall Street co-creator Micha White. “Make No Little Plans” is a conversation that challenges architects and activists to think about creating an urban habitat able to accommodate future events, such as overcrowding and climate change. Addie Wagenknecht, founder of Deep Lab, will conduct a drone painting performance. The cyberfeminist research collaborative will also host conversations, workshops and performances, while developing new installations and participatory experiences. Fri., May 29 features dance battles, poetry slams, urban-design pitches, sound and video environments, games, and mobile art spaces — including “Pitching the City.” Held at the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, audience members hear high-concept pitches followed by a vote for the next “best design idea.” Urban entrepreneurs from around the world will compete. “BattleFest,” at the same venue’s Aula, is a high-energy dance competition between troupes from around the nation. On Sat., May 30, a street festival envelops the area surrounding the New Museum. Highlights include a hands-on bacteria-printing workshop led by DNA Learning Center scientist Christine Marizzi — making NYC’s microbiomes “visible and accessible” (don’t bother Googling that; just go and learn). Giant chunks of EPS geofoam along the Bowery will make for a surreal pedestrian experience, while a Mayan Ball Game Tournament mashes the ancient Mesoamerican sport with NYC street basketball (neighborhood institutions fiercely compete against each other, but heads will not roll). A “Pigeon’s Perspective” walking tour explains their Lower East Side context, and a Smog Tasting run by the Center for Genomic Gastronomy harvests air pollution, houses it in egg foam and invites you to compare urban atmosphere from different locations. Lest that leave a bad (or at least unfamiliar) taste in your mouth, artist Jordi Jorba’s “Nomadic Place” creates temporary structures from hot air .com

Photo by Daniel Levin

Covered with multilingual poetry and packing a high-powered projector on its roof, the POEMobile beams poetry onto nearby surfaces while surrounded by music and spoken word performance. Part of IDEAS CITY, May 28–30.

balloons, filling them with community events, performances and workshops. A mix of free and ticketed events, IDEAS CITY takes place in and outside of the New Museum (235 Bowery btw. Rivington & Stanton Sts.), and at other nearby venues. For more info, visit ideas-city.org.

AL SON SON — FLAMENCO Barcelona-born dancer and choreographer Sonia Olla teams with her frequent collaborator, vocalist Ismael de la Rosa Fernández, for a rare U.S. performance. The result of a six-month developmental workshop, this 90-minute spectacle — whose title roughly translates as “Take us to the rhythms of the heart of Flamenco” — merges the duo’s distinctive techniques with the work of guitarist Pedro Cortés and 30 members of the Sonia Olla Flamenco Studio. There, teachers Olla and Fernández encourage their students to master the form while bringing their individuality to the performance — resulting in this stage show, which transmits to American audience “an understanding of the Cante Flamenco [songs and singing of Flamenco], which derives from the lyrics and poetry of the people from Andalusia in the south of Spain.” Thurs., May 28, at 8 p.m. at Tribeca Performing Arts Center at BMCC (199 Chambers St. btw. West & Greenwich Sts.). For tickets ($20), visit tribecapac.org/al-son-son-flamenco-may-28. Aritst info: soniaolla.com.

Photo by Joan Crisol

Choreographer/dancer Sonia Olla is joined by vocalist Ismael de la Rosa Fernández, guitarist Pedro Cortés and 30 members of her dance studio, for a rare U.S. appearance (May 28 at BMCC Tribeca PAC). May 21 - 27, 2015

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May 21 - 27, 2015

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Cleverness Hung on a Foundation of Nothing Play based on classic Hitchcock is a total crock BY TRAV S.D. The theatre is Lucy Van Pelt and her football; I am Charlie Brown. I keep getting sweet-talked back, but it’s really just a trick, and this is what inevitably happens: I went to see “39 Steps” on assignment for this publication. The next day, I voluntarily opted not to write the review (or take the fee) so that I could, on travsd.wordpress.com, write what I really feel — and what I feel is too strong, too extreme, too vitriolic for any respectable publication to be responsible for. Editor’s Note: Despite Mr. S.D.’s offer, we insisted on running the review without edits and for full pay, plus reimbursement for travel expenses and one session of trauma counseling. Is “garbage” too strong a word? If “garbage” is something that’s useless to you, that’s disposable, that you want to not just throw away, but to have carted away, far far away to a landfill 50 miles from where you live, where you’ll never have to see it or smell it or think about it ever again — then, no, “garbage” is not too strong a word. I genuinely wanted to see this show. It’s set in the 1930s, people spoke highly of it, it’s supposed to be “farcical,” and I really love the Hitchcock movie. But, no, it was a total and utter waste of time, an exercise in vacuity and emptiness: well-executed, well-designed, well-performed, well-“directed” emptiness, all cleverness hung on a foundation of nothing. It was like looking at a bunch of ornaments with no Christmas tree underneath. You know the conceit, right? Four actors perform an adaptation of Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps,” with wink-wink jokes along the way. They do an impressive number of funny characters, and a little quick-change (but not as much as you’d think — most of the changes aren’t that quick). I might find it an entertaining vaudeville turn or comedy sketch if it were kept to ten minutes. But it’s a fulllength evening. Much like “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” (which I also detested), it’s a sort of play-within-a-play, in that the actors keep doing a bunch of meta business about missed cues and so forth. But the actors who play the parts are never defined, nor are the .com

Photo by Joan Marcus

Run for your life! Robert Petkoff in a scene from the well-designed but vapid “39 Steps.”

offstage stagehands and board ops etc. who give them these miscues. So it’s just a bunch of general business, like that part of the circus where a bunch of clowns come out and start bumping into each other and falling down for no reason. Who are they? Any idiot can fall down in the service of nothing. I don’t need to go to a theatre for that. Because of this secondary level, we can’t be drawn into a plot or care about the characters or their predicament. It’s a pity. As in “Edwin Drood,” I found myself longing to watch a REAL version. In desperation to look at something with integrity that I could care about, I found myself counting the number of bricks in the bare wall at the back of the stage: It turns out there are 9,357. (You see, I really did that). As for the much-praised and award-winning design elements: they were undoubtedly well-executed and even beautiful to look at and listen to. But I must tell you in all seriousness there was NONE of it….NONE of it, the toy train, the silhouettes, the puppets and dummies and fake limbs, that I haven’t seen dozens and scores and hundreds of times in the storefonts and basements and little theatres of New York’s indie theatre. Is that what gets you a Tony Award? Then I can name you a hundred friends who

Photo by Joan Marcus

L to R: Robert Petkoff, Arnie Burton, Billy Carter and Brittany Vicars.

deserve those Tonys. My takeaway from “39 Steps?” I’d rather be dumped in a cold Scottish marsh in handcuffs at night and followed by vicious dogs than have such an experience again. But if you want to? “39 Steps” is playing at the Union Square Theatre (100 E. 17th St.) Mon. at 7 p.m., Wed. at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.,

Thurs. & Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. and Sun. at 3 p.m. Tickets ($39-$89) on sale via 39StepsNY.com, thru Ticketmaster online and by phone at 877-250-2929, and also in person at the Union Square Theatre box office (1 p.m. daily except Tues.). Premium seats are $105. $20 tickets for students, veterans, armed forces, NYPD and FDNY are available in person at the box office with ID the day of the show. May 21 - 27, 2015

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THIS IS BIG NEWS FOR THE SMALLEST NEW YORKERS.

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OUR KiDS EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT IS NOW OPEN TO SERVE THE CHILDREN OF NEW YORK. Children get sick, children have accidents. The good news is that NYU Langone has opened the KiDS ED to provide urgent medical attention in ways only children and parents can appreciate. It’s a kids-only treatment facility. In fact, the only adults you’ll find here are some of the world’s best pediatric doctors and nurses, all specially trained to have a delicate understanding of how to treat children of all ages. To learn more, visit nyulangone.org/KiDSED.

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May 21 - 27, 2015

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