downtown express 1-5-11
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BY ALINE REYNOLDS
The city Department of Educationand the Environmental ProtectionAgency are at odds concerning recent
discussions over eliminating possibleairborne toxins from public schools.The E.P.A. released guidelines last
Wednesday for the safe and immediateremoval of polychlorinated biphenylsfrom lighting ballasts in school build-ings. The city D.O.E., though, is notquite ready to jump on board with theprogram and is specifically questioningthe urgency of the E.P.A.s claims.
In a recent letter to Dennis Walcott,the citys deputy mayor for educa-tion, the E.P.A. recommended thatall P.C.B.-containing lighting fixtures
be removed in a safe and expeditedfashion. It hopes to schedule schoolinspections in the coming months withthe D.O.E.s help, according to Judith
Enck, the E.P.A.s regional adminis-trator. Enck also suggested that theD.O.E. create a working group to pro-duce a written strategy plan by March15, 2011.
In response to Encks letter, Walcottsaid a wholesale replacement of bal-lasts is an inadequately informed riskmanagement strategy.
The chemicals, used as insulatorsin school buildings prior to 1979, aretoxic and pose long-term health threatsto students, teachers and staff, accord-ing to medical reports.
The E.P.A. and the D.O.E. co-launched a pilot program last year,testing P.C.B. levels in five schoolsaround the city. Three of the schools
had broken lighting ballasts, which, ifnot properly dismantled, can cause thenoxious chemicals to seep into the air.
Walcott also questioned the E.P.A.sscientific assessment of the pilot pro-gram, arguing thathealth studieshavenot tied the P.C.B. levels with directhealth effects among students or staff.
Available health literature sug-gests that the theoretical risk of healthimpacts is too low from this exposureto justify a public health-driven inter-
Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds
Last weeks snow, this weeks garbageOnce the snow was cleared, or simply melted, from city sidewalks last week, trash took its place as regular gar-
bage pick-up was suspended.
BY ALINE REYNOLDS
President Obama signedthe James R. Zadroga 9/11Health and CompensationAct into law on Sunday,marking the end of a seven-year-long battle to get thebill passed. But now, 9/11victims that qualify for com-pensation must find a law-yer to represent them duringarbitration and the FealGood
Foundation, a nonprofit thatassists 9/11 first respondersand their families, hopes toaid in the search.
The Zadroga Act allo-cated $2.8 billion for com-pensation via the VictimsCompensation Fund, thefederal entitlement programset up immediately follow-ing the 9/11 attacks. A sepa-rate sum of $1.5 billion wasestablished for medical treat-ment at designated W.T.C.
Centers of Excellence
the W.T.C. EnvironmentalHealth Centers at BellevueHospital, Elmhurst Hospitaland Gouverneur Health CareServices. Also on the list ofdesignated clinics is the FireDepartment of New Yorksand Mount Sinai School ofMedicines medical moni-toring and treatment pro-grams.
As for the V.C.F. por-
tion of the bill, the fundsare not expected to beavailable until the sum-mer. FealGood Foundationattorney Sean Riordan andthe foundations founder,John Feal, said they arenow helping claimants findtrustworthy and compas-sionate attorneys to ensurecompensation.
The lawyers represent-ing the 9/11 survivors mustprove economic losses result-
ing from an injury their cli-
Group to help 9/11
victims find lawyers
City Dept of Education not buyinginto new enviromental standards
Continued onpage 15
Continued onpage 15
downtown express VOLUME 23, NUMBER 34 THE NEWSPAPER OF LOWER MANHATTAN JANUARY 5 - 11, 2011
HARRY HOUDINI ON DISPLAY, P. 19
Downtown Express photo by J.B. Nicholas
Cold out? Travel to Capri, but not the one in Italy. P. 11
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January 5 - 11, 20112 downtown express
Faculty
Career Nights and Information Sessions begin January 5.
Arts Programs
Art Appraisal, Arts Administration, and Art Business
Foreign Languages, Translation, and Interpreting
Court and Medical Interpreting
Foreign Language Programs
Translation Studies
Writing and Speech
Wed., Jan. 12
Tues., Jan. 11
Thurs., Jan. 13
Wed., Jan. 5
Wed., Jan. 19
48 Cooper Square, 1st Fl.
48 Cooper Square, 1st Fl.
48 Cooper Square, 1st Fl.
48 Cooper Square, 1st Fl.
48 Cooper Square, 1st Fl.
LIBERAL STUDIES AND ALLIED ARTS
Design, Digital Arts, and Film
Publishing
PHILANTHROPY AND FUNDRAISING
REAL ESTATE
Construction Management
Real Estate: Sales, Appraisal, Finance,Investment, Development, and Management
Tues., Jan. 11
Thurs., Jan. 13
Wed., Jan. 12
Wed., Jan. 12
Wed., Jan. 19
Woolworth Building, 2nd Fl.
Midtown Center, 4th Fl.
Midtown Center, 4th Fl.
Midtown Center, 4th Fl.
Midtown Center, 4th Fl.
MEDIA INDUSTRY STUDIES AND DESIGN
Accounting, Taxation, and Legal Programs
Business Management and Leadership
Finance
Human Capital Management
Information Technology
Marketing and Digital Media MarketingProject Management
Public Relations and Investor Relations
Thurs., Jan. 13
Tues., Jan. 11
Thurs., Jan. 13
Tues., Jan. 11
Thurs., Jan. 20
Wed., Jan. 12Tues., Jan. 11
Wed., Jan. 12
Midtown Center, 4th Fl.
Midtown Center, 4th Fl.
Midtown Center, 4th Fl.
Midtown Center, 4th Fl.
48 Cooper Square, 1st Fl.
Midtown Center, 4th Fl.Midtown Center, 4th Fl.
Midtown Center, 4th Fl.
PROGRAMS IN BUSINESS
Thurs., Jan. 20 Woolworth Building, 2nd Fl.GLOBAL AFFAIRS
Thurs., Jan. 20 Midtown Center, 4th Fl.HOSPITALITY, TOURISM, ANDSPORTS MANAGEMENT
EVENT LOCATION KEY
48 Cooper Square, 1st Fl.Four blocks east of the main Washington Square campusMidtown Center, 4th Fl. 11 West 42nd Street (btwn. 5th and 6th Aves.)
Woolworth Bldg., 2nd Fl.15 Barclay Street (btwn. Broadway and Church St.)
All Career Nights and Information Sessions are from 68 p.m.
PLEASE NOTE: These are structured presentations that begin on time.
Reservations are not required, but please be punctual.
scps.nyu.edu/sessionsNew York University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. 2011 New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
212 998 7200
Planning Your Next Career and Education Move Wed., Jan. 12 Woolworth Building, 2nd Fl.
CAREER, EDUCATION, AND LIFE PLANNING
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downtown express January 5 - 11, 2011 3
Assemblyman Shelly Silver
I you need assistance, please contact my ofce at
(212) 312-1420 or email [email protected].
Fighting to make
Lower Manhattan
the greatest place
to live, work, and
raise a amily.
DOWNTOWNDIGESTNEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-7, 10-17
EDITORIAL PAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-23
CLASSIFIEDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
C.B. 1
MEETINGSA schedule of this weeks upcoming Community
Board 1 committee meetings is below. Unless otherwisenoted, all committee meetings are held at the boardoffice, located at 49-51 Chambers St., room 709 at
6 p.m. The Community Board offices are closed onThursday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day.
ON WED., JAN. 5: C.B. 1s Financial DistrictCommittee will meet.
ON THURS., JAN. 6: C.B. 1s Planning andCommunity Infrastructure Committee will meet.
ON MON., JAN. 10: C.B.1s WTC RedevelopmentCommittee will meet at 6 p.m. in the State AssemblyHearing Room, 250 Broadway, 19th Floor,Manhattan.
ON TUES., JAN. 11: C.B. 1s Tribeca Transportationand Parking Regulations Sub-Committee will meet.
THE TRIBATTERY POPS, AT IT AGAINThe TriBattery Pops, preparing for its eighth season
starting later this month, is searching for musicians.The group, Lower Manhattans first all-volunteer band in a
century, according tofounder, Tom Goodkind, will perform six times through-
out the year. Venues include the Battery Park City baseballfield; the Bogardus Triangle Viewing Garden; Chelsea Piers;Wagner Park; and the World Trade Center site, in commemo-ration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and the opening of theNational 9/11 Memorial.
Its a lot of fun, requires little work, and goes well withfamily, school and work, said Goodkind.The ensemble record CDs every year that are distributed
to radio stations around the world by College Music Journal.Practice sessions are held at the Church Street School ofMusic on the last two Fridays of each month, from Januarythrough May.
To learn how to get involved, visit tribatterypops.com ore-mail [email protected].
BLACK LAWSUIT SHUT DOWNThe city Department of Educations new chancellor,
Cathie Black, took the helm on Monday, visiting severalschools around the city to do meet-and-greets with principals
and monitor student progress.Her start to the job comes one week after Deny theWaiver Coalition and two other citywide parent groups lost
a legal battle in Albany contesting her appointment, whichwas the subject of heated controversy in December. Blackreceived a waiver from NY State Education CommissionerDavid Steiner to be selected as chancellor, since she lackedthe educational credentials for the position.
Governance by lawsuit is not a good way to run ourschool system. I hope the Court will see the importanceof our petition and recognize the implications of a nega-tive ruling, said Shino Tanikawa, a member of DistrictTwos Community Education Council, at a hearing held onDecember 23.
Were extremely disappointed, said D.W.C. AttorneyNorman Siegel, who led the petition. He and the other attor-neys are meeting with parents in the coming days to decidewhether they should file an appeal.
NEW 9/11 FILM FOCUSES ON V.C.F.A new documentary, Out of the Ashes: 9/11, features
seven 9/11 families and focuses on the impact that the 9/11Victim Compensation Fund had in its first round, when itdistributed $7 billion to over 5,500 families.
The film was written, produced and co-directed byMarilyn Berger, a professor at the Seattle University Schoolof Law and director of the Films for Justice Institute.
The documentary will be screened January 12 at 6 p.m.
at the New York County Lawyers Association at 14 VeseyStreet. Berger will host a question-and-answer session forviewers following the screening.
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BY ALINE REYNOLDS
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the religiousleader behind the Cordoba Initiative and
Park51, is embarking on a nationwide tourwith the goal of spreading his message aboutpeaceful interfaith dialogue and putting astop to discrimination and violence againstMuslim-Americans.
Since the media firestorm surrounding theproposed Islamic community center beganlast summer, Rauf has been inundated withe-mails from religious and cultural institu-tions around the country, voicing strongsupport for the project. Several of them alsoinvited him to speak, prompting the Imam toschedule a speaking tour.
What we observed [from the feedback],
he said in a phone interview, is the genesisof a broad interfaith coalition of people whoare of all faiths and traditions.
The time has come, he added, to rallysupporters around the Cordoba Movement,which Rauf hopes will bond the moderatesof all faiths. His dream, he said, is towitness the opening of Cordoba Housesaround the country, where people of differ-ent religious beliefs can live, play and eattogether, while adhering to the principalsof their respective faiths. The objectiveof the movement, he said, is to convert
interfaith dialogues into interfaith partner-ships.
Part of the mission of the speaking tour,
Rauf explained, is to reclaim the discourseof the radicals. We need to say, This hasgot to stop, and to amplify that [moderate]voice, he said.
Rauf will begin his tour in Detroit,Michigan, head to Buffalo, NY, and then to Washington, D.C. He will also be makingappearances at institutions in Massachusetts,Pennsylvania, Texas, Illinois and WashingtonState. Hell also be speaking at universitiessuch as Harvard, Yale and the Universityof North Carolina. The lectures will beinvitation-only, and closed to the public forsecurity reasons, according to Raufs spokes-
person.Rauf declined to comment on his person-al security, though he said that the spreadingof the Cordoba Movements message willhelp ease tensions between the moderatesand the radicals.
Rauf also has plans to visit Egypt, wherehe said there is a widespread violation of thefundamental principals and the teachings ofIslam.
The principles governing the CordobaMovement are not limited to the U.S.,said Rauf. Relationships with non-Muslim
minorities residing in Muslim communitiesoverseas also need to be fostered. Later thisyear, following the U.S. tour, Rauf will beguest-lecturing in the U.K., the Middle Eastand Southeast Asia.
Its important to make our voices heard,said Rauf, and to develop real solutions tothe polarization which has grown against
interfaith communities [worldwide].While some of the speaking engagementsare set in stone, Rauf has yet to confirmothers, such as a talk at the Diversity ForumBanquet in Detroit, Michigan.
The Islamic Society for North America,the host organization of the event who invit-ed Rauf to speak there, has a long historyof reaching out to the Muslim community,which is often excluded in the discourse ofMuslim-American advancement, accordingto Sarah Thompson, communications coor-dinator of I.S.N.A.
We thought [Rauf] could bring in a little
national perspective of diversity into theMuslim community, said Thompson.Rothko Chapel, an interfaith center based
in Houston, is looking forward to hostingRauf for similar reasons as I.S.N.A. Raufsaid he was invited there by a chapel boardmember who he has worked with for severalyears.
Rauf is a person of interest, accordingto the chapels executive director, EmileeWhitehurst, since we have a longstandingtradition of exploring interreligious dialogueand interfaith understanding.
Subway platform dramaA man dressed in womens clothes and a woman with a
three-year-old girl confronted a woman victim waiting ona platform in the subway station at Broadway and John St.around 1:15 a.m. Thurs., Dec. 30, police said. The crossdresser said, Why is this [woman] looking at me, and
started slapping the victim. The woman with the child said,Hes crazy leave him alone, but when the victim took outher cell phone to call the police the woman also began slap-ping the victim, police said. The cross-dresser grabbed thevictims cell phone and fled along with the woman and thechild, police said.
Upholds murder convictionAn appeals court on Tues., Dec. 28 upheld the 2006
murder conviction of Rudy Fleming in the shooting death ofNicole duFresne, 28, an actress and writer, during a holdupat Rivington and Clinton Sts. in Jan. 2005 while she waswalking home with friends. Fleming, serving a sentence of
life in prison without parole, appealed last year claimingthat he should have been declared mentally unfit for trial.The Appellate Division panel last week decided the trialand conviction were valid. There was extensive evidencethe defendant, even if psychiatrically ill, was deliberatelyfeigning the type of symptoms that might suggest an inabilityto understand the proceedings and assist in his defense, thedecision said.
Mens room encounterA patron of Iron Horse, located at 42 Cliff St., was wash-
ing his hands in the mens room of the place around 11:03a.m. Sun., Jan. 2 when a stranger got in front of him, put
his hands on the victims waist and slowly backed him tothe wall, police said. Youre a good looking guy. I like you,the stranger said, and slipped his hand to the victims backpocket, removed his wallet with $100 in cash and fled.
Knifepoint robberyA woman visiting from Washington, D.C. told police that
she was walking on the northwest corner of Water and BroadSts. in the Financial District around 10:50 p.m. Sat., Jan. 1when she felt someone tug on the hood of her jacket, policesaid. The victim, 33, turned to find two men, one of them wav-ing a knife in her face. Give me your money or Ill kill you,the knife-wielder said. The victim gave up $50 and the two men
fled a block south and disappeared around the corner of MooreSt., a one-block lane between Water and Pearl Sts.
Dud grenadePolice evacuated a six-story building at 106 Norfolk St.
near Delancey St. for a short time Wednesday morning, Dec.29 after someone on the fifth floor reported a hand grenadein an apartment. The grenade was deemed inert and resi-dents were allowed to return to the six-story building after45 minutes. There were no arrests in the incident.
Chrystie St. fireA fire broke out on the fourth floor of a six-story build-
ing at 187 Chrystie St. between Rivington and Stanton Sts.around 4:42 p.m. Wed., Dec. 29. Firefighters brought thefire, attributed to a space heater, under control at 5:09 p.m. Afirefighter sustained minor injuries. The Box, a club next door,was not damaged and opened for business later that night.
Cabby takes bagsA cab with two women passengers stopped in front of the
Soho Grand Hotel at 310 W. Broadway around 10:30 p.m.Wed., Dec. 29 when the hotel bellman started unloading their
luggage, police said. Before all the bags were out of the cab, thedriver sped away north on W. Broadway. The lost luggage hadshoes, clothes, two handbags, watches, a digital camera andperfume with a total estimated value of $5,320, police said.
Crowded streetA Brooklyn woman, 24, told police she was doing
some post-Christmas shopping in Soho around 8 p.m. onTues., Dec. 28 when she felt someone in the crowd onthe northeast corner of Broadway and Prince St. dig intoher pocket. She checked to discover that her wallet with
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POLICE BLOTTER
The Cordoba Movement is going on tour
Continued on page 10
Downtown Express file photo
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf.
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Seaport redevelopmentback on the table
Plans to redevelop the South StreetSeaport, now owned and operated by theHoward Hughes Corporation, are back onthe discussion table.
The Howard Hughes Corporation, a spin-off of General Growth Properties, who wentbankrupt in April 2009, has acknowledgedthat is reviving the plans, which include ahotel, a condominium tower and retail shopsto the Howard Hughes Corp.
The hotels design would be inspired bythe South Street Seaports maritime heri-tage, according to thenewseaport.com.
The Howard Hughes Corp. said it was not
at liberty to release new design plans to thepress or public until they are finalized, accord-ing to the companys president, Grant Herlitz.The company, however, is in contact with thecity and various architects and consultants tomake sure we continue the process.
In 2007, G.G.P. developed a plan toenhance the public open space and access tothe waterfront at the South Street Seaport.The goal of redeveloping the area, accordingto thenewseaport.com, would be to createpedestrian-only streets that extend beyond thecity grid. These new buildings would openlanes that create view corridors to the harbor
and the Brooklyn Bridge, the site reads.Two sky bridges, would connect the com-mercial and public spaces, according to thesite. The proposal also includes demolishingthe Pier 17 mall.
Herlitz would not confirm or specifyany aspect of the design plans, though hesaid that the corporation plans to engage inthought-provoking discussions with thecity and local organizations to come upwith the most vibrant plan for the SouthStreet Seaport thatll garner support andbe an exciting new redevelopment [project]for the city. The pier, he added, would con-
tinue to serve as an integral part of LowerManhattan.Since the South Street Seaport is a his-
toric district, any plans for redevelopmentwill have to go before the citys LandmarksPreservation Commission once it has a final-ized version of the plans. The L.P.C. dispar-aged G.G.P.s original development design in
a hearing held in late 2008, deeming the newbuildings too tall and modern for an areathat is comprised of low-rise brick buildings.The commissioners never ended up votingon the project, however, since G.G.P. nevermade a follow-up presentation, according toElisabeth de Bourbon, director of communi-cations at the L.P.C.
Community Board One initially approvedG.G.P.s original development plans, voting
23 to 16 in favor of the project in November2008, on the condition that the plans includethe creation of a new school. The boardrescinded its endorsement of the projectlater that month, however, when the D.O.E.said there was no need for a school in theSouth Street Seaport.
Herlitz said its too early to solicit com-munity input on the project, and that a time
frame for the districts redevelopment hasnot yet been ironed out.A senior designer at ShoP Architects
declined to comment on the project with-out the authorization of the HowardHughes Corp.
Aline Reynolds
D O W N T O W N D I A L O G U EA NEW YEARS TOAST FOR LOWER MANHATTAN
BY LIZ BERGER
New Years is a t ime to consider the past
and make resolut ions for the future, a t ime
of ref lect ion and dreaming, reckoning and
optimism. Ive resolved to finish the books on
my nightstand, learn how to make pie crust,
and work out (this has been at the top of my list
for too many years but this time Im serious).
I a l s o s p e n t t i m e a s t h e n e w y e a r
approached ref lect ing on the past, present
and future of Lower Manhattanand when the
clock struck 12 on New Years Eve, I raised a
glass to all of us who live Downtown and made
a simple toast: Weve arrived.
When the Downtown Alliance opened its
doors in 1995, commerc ia l vacancy rates
approached 20 percent, companies that had
been downtown for 100 years were leaving,
and the streets were gett ing dark, dirty and
empty at night.
Today Lower Manhattans 55,000 residents
have jo ined the more than 300,000 people
who work here every day and nearly six milli onannual visitors to create a new kind of central
business distr ict , a thriving, round-the-clock
neighborhood with 1,050 restaurants and
reta i lers , e ight museums, and n ine publ ic
schoolswith one more on the way.
For 16 years, our job has been to advance
L o w e r M a n h a t t a n t h r o u g h p r o g r a m s ,
service, research and advocacyas a global
destination of choice for companies, workers,
residents and visitors. Here is how we do it:
W e m ake da i l y l i f e be t t e r now. Th e
Downtown Alliance provides Lower Manhattanwith supplemental sanitat ion, public safety,
t r anspo r t a t ion , and home less ou t r each .
We star ted a publ ic ar t program that turns
construction sites into canvases and launched
a co-work ing fac i l i t y that of fers af fordable
workspace to freelancers, entrepreneurs and
startup companies. Today the neighborhood
is one of the citys cleanest and safest. Our
sanitation staffers bag trash at all hours in al l
kinds of weather. Our public safety off icers
are the distr ict s eyes and ears, continually
pa t r o l l i ng t he s t r ee t s , check ing in w i t h
businesses, and providing friendly assistance.
W e s u p p o r t L o w e r M a n h a t t a n s
businesses, employees and residents. We
brand, market and position Lower Manhattan
to investors, commercial tenants, shoppers,
visitors and people who live and work here.
We promote local retailers and restaurants all
year long in print and on the web, with special
emphasis on holiday shopping and summer
cultura l act iv i ty . Our research depar tment
produces business reports, market research
documents and special publications such as our
2010 Survey of Lower M anhattan Residents. In
addition, every year, we produce and distribute
t wo mi l l i on t ou r is t , W iF i , and Down t own
Connection maps, shopping and dining guides,
residential living and retail i nvestor brochures,
and other printed materials. We think about the future of Lower
M a n h a t t a n . A ha l f - cen t u r y ago , Dav id
Rockefeller and his contemporaries proposed
the creation of Battery Park City, the World
Trade Center, the South Street Seaport, and
countless other public/private partnerships,
as strategies to sustain Lower Manhattan as
a globally competitive central business district
by encou r ag ing t he g r owt h o f a v ib r an t ,
mixed-use communit y. His legacy of business
ac t i v ism t h r ough v is iona r y p lann ing has
inspired our work to keep Lower Manhattan adestination of choice for many years to come.
Lower Manhattan has been an active, vital
and innovative center of urban life for more
than 400 years. Our resolut ion is to keep it
that way for (at least) 400 more!
L i z B e r g e r i s P r e s i d e n t o f t h e
Downtown Alliance
Paid Advertisement
Downtown Alliance staffers make daily life better 24/7
The corporation plans
to engage in thought-
provoking discussions
with the city and local
organizations to come
up with the most vibrant
plan for the South Street
Seaport.
Grant Herlitz
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January 5 - 11, 20116 downtown express
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 YorkState.
Instead of the broad moratorium that
environmental advocates and local electedofficials have been demanding, Patersonissued an executive order on Dec. 11 impos-ing a temporary ban on horizontal fracking.
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 executiveorder would also expire on that date.
The vetoed moratorium, which passedboth the State Assembly and the StateSenate, would have been valid as a state law
until 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 Governor
Paterson has decided to veto such impor-tant legislation and has instead opted for ascenario 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 NewYork City watershed, which supplies 90
percent of the citys drinking water, all of itunfiltered.The wells are first drilled down verti-
cally between 3,000 feet to 6,000 feet to theshale formation and then horizontally forthousands of feet in order to inject millionsof gallons 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 groundwa-ter. The Bloomberg administration and theCity Council last year called for a ban on
fracking in the New York City watershed,specifically. However, the drilling morato-rium that Paterson vetoed, as well as hisexecutive order that replaces it, apply tohydrofracture drilling throughout the state.
The Independent Oil and Gas Association
of New York State has insisted that frack-ing has been done without risk of harmingthe environment. Moreover, the associationcontends that a fracking ban would elimi-nate $1 million in annual state revenuesfrom drilling fees and would risk the loss of5,000 industry jobs. Hundreds of millionsof dollars in lease payments and royalties tolandowners and tens of millions in dollarsin tax revenues to local towns and countieswould be threatened by a fracking ban, theassociation said.
BY HELAINA N. HOVITZ
The boys in Manhattan Youths MartialArts class want to be just like their teacher,and the girls want the boys to be like himtoo. Their teacher, James Clifford, is also thebass player in the Energy, a pop/rock bandthat will be celebrating the release of theirthird album at Irving Plaza next weekend.
Every Friday afternoon, the Energy getsready to spend the weekend touring citiesacross the East Coast. The band has twoother albums and an EP under their belt, and
has achieved something of a celebrity status,opening for bands such as Vertical Horizon,Fastball and the Click Five.
Between the bands busy tour sched-ule and his full time job teaching musicat Bay Ridge Preparatory School, Cliffordstill makes time to commute into LowerManhattan every Monday and Wednesday toteach Manhattan Youths Martial Arts afterschool programs at P.S. 276 and P.S. 397.
Clifford may be a born-and-bred Brooklynboy, but his heart has always been in LowerManhattan. He took the train in from BayRidge every weekend to play football in
Battery Park, and remembers spending mostof his free time around Chambers and
Greenwich Streets, hanging out with friendsand frequenting his favorite diner.
Gee Whiz always hooked it up forme, he remembered fondly. When I began
teaching, Id go there on my breaks betweenclasses to have a cup of tea.
But Cliffords favorite Downtown desti-nation was always J&R, where he stoppedin every Tuesday to buy new music as hewalked from P.S. 89 to Southbridge Towers.
Clifford first ventured to the area at the ageof eight, when his uncle, Manhattan Youth
Martial Arts Program Director Dr. CharlieFasano brought him to his first karate classat P.S. 234. Dr. Fasano, also the headmasterof Bay Ridge Prep, worked closely with BobTownley, president of Manhattan Youth.When Clifford turned 17, Townley hired himas a martial arts instructor. He went on tobecome the programs assistant director.
Bob took a chance and gave me a lotof responsibly at a very young age, saidClifford. It made me feel confident.
Clifford continued to take up bass and gui-tar in high school, where several of his musicteachers played in bands outside of school.After seeing that it was possible to become ateacher while still pursuing dreams of musicalstardom, he joined the Bay Ridge Prep faculty,
along with two fellow band members. He hassince spent over a decade showing studentsthat even though hes a member of a popularband, hes also grounded.
In fact, he said, i ts his students who helpkeep it that way.
The industry is an emotional rollercoaster. The kids I teach are so innocent, andtheyre real, said Clifford. They keep megrounded and help me take a step back.
Fellow band member Adam Wolfsdorfsaid teaching karate has kept Clifford root-ed, because the kids are exciting, originaland havent been turned off the way many
Activists, pols say Paterson watered down fracking ban
Karate teacher rocks, in and out of the classroom
I am disappointed that
Governor Paterson has
decided to veto such
important legislation.
State Senator Liz Krueger
Continued on page 17
Continued on page 16
Downtown Express photo by Helaina N. Hovitz
James Clifford is more than just a teacher to his students. His band, the Energy will
be holding a CD release party this weekend at Irving Plaza.
DOWNTOWN
PROFILE
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BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER
To the tune of Johann Strausss BlueDanube Waltz, multi-colored dendrites,neurons and synapses danced across aprojection screen. This was how CarlSchoonover, a doctoral candidate inneurobiology and behavior at ColumbiaUniversity, introduced his audience atthe New York Academy of Sciences tohis topic: Visualizing the Brain fromAntiquity to the 21st Century.
Schoonovers lecture on December 15was part of this years Science and theCity series describing how science hasevolved. There will be two more lecturesin that series this year, plus some oneoff lectures on other scientific topics ofinterest to the layman. The lectures takeplace at the Academys headquarters onthe 40th floor of 7 World Trade Center,where attendees are also rewarded withdramatic views of Manhattan.
The New York Academy of Sciencesdates all the way back to 1817, butScience and the City is a mere five yearsold. The Academy, whose membershipof more than 24,000 people includes 26Nobel Laureates, was initially primarily
for professional scientists and studentsof science. Science and the Citys mission
has been to promote scientific literacy tothe general public.
Everything is really small, saidSchoonover, describing the brain.Everything is packed very tight andeverything is convoluted. So the challengeover the centuries and especially towardthe end of the 19th century has been tosomehow make sense of this incrediblysmall, incredibly tangled mess. Startingwith an image of a face showing connec-tions between the eyes and what passesfor a brain drawn in Cairo, Egypt in the11th century, Schoonover traced the pro-gression of knowledge to the present andthe insights enabled by technology, suchas the electron microscope.
The lecture series is under the stew-ardship of Adrienne Burke, who came tothe Academy five years ago as an editor.Initially, she said, Science and the Citywas just a website listing science eventsaround the city; the lectures started inOctober 2006 with evenings devoted tothe science of food, such as wine, beerand cheese.
Food has cropped up as a theme sev-eral times since then.
Science and the cityat 7 World Trade Center
PUBLIC NOTICE
Verdant Power, LLC hereby gives notice of its submittal of
a Pilot License Application on December 29, 2010 to
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
This Pilot License Application is to commercially develop a
1 MW hydrokinetic pilot project in the East Channel of the
East River as the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE)
Project (FERC No. 12611). The proposed project is a
hydrokinetic facility comprised of axial-flow turbines
installed under water to generate clean renewable energy
from tidal currents.
A copy of the Pilot License Application can be obtainedonline at www.theriteproject.com/Documents.html or at
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. The Pilot License
Application is also available for inspection by request at the
corporate address of Verdant Power, LLC, 888 Main Street,
New York, NY 10044, or by email request at
Continued on page 13
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
PUBLISHER & EDITOR
John W. Sutter
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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AND MARKETING
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CONTRIBUTORS
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PHOTOGRAPHERS
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Jefferson Siegel
INTERNS
Andrea Riquier
Published byCOMMUNITYMEDIA, LLC145 Sixth Ave., NY, NY 10013
Phone: (212) 229-1890Fax: (212) 229-2790
On-line: www.downtownexpress.comE-mail: [email protected]
Downtown Express is published every week byCommunity Media LLC, 145 Sixth Ave., NewYork, N.Y. 10013 (212) 229-1890. The entirecontents of the newspaper, including advertising,are copyrighted and no part may be reproducedwithout the express permission of the publisher -
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PUBLISHERS LIABILITY FOR ERRORThe Publisher shall not be liable for slightchanges or typographical errors that do notlessen the value of an advertisement. Thepublishers liability for other errors or omissionsin connection with an advertisement is strictlylimited to publication of the advertisement in anysubsequent issue.
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Downtown Express photo by Milo Hess
Winter lightA seagull was nesting in the leafless branches of a tree at the Battery over the
weekend.
Fall into the GAAPThe New York Uprising reform pledge signed by a major-
ity of members of both houses of the Legislature had threepoints: independent, nonpartisan redistricting; ethics reform;and, finally, the implementation of a GAAP budget process.
Former Mayor Ed Koch is the leading force behindUprising, which counts good-government groups amongits members.
The first two points are pretty self-explanatory. Basically,unless there is an independent, nonpartisan redistrictingcommission, incumbents will keep drawing their own dis-trict lines every 10 years, helping reassure their perpetualre-election; viable challengers wont have a hope of a levelplaying field and will be put off from even running. However,no one is guaranteed election for life.
Ethics reform is also sorely needed, because its essentialthat we know where our politicians income comes from. Ifour elected officials are doing business with people who havebusiness before the state, we must know this.
The Uprising pledges third point, however, a GAAPbudget, is perhaps less well understood by most voters. Yet,its just as vitally important particularly with the statesstaggering debt now at more than $9 billion, expected tomushroom to $15 billion in the coming fiscal year.
GAAP stands for generally accepted accounting prin-ciples, and these regulations are something Albany desper-ately needs.
Although Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has toldus twice since Koch started his reform initiative in March2010, that New York State does have a GAAP budget, Kochemphatically disagreed.
Its not in the law, Hizzoner told us Monday. And thebudget they adopt is not GAAP-balanced. New York City,though, does have a GAAP budget under law. Its high timethat the state followed suit.
Earlier this year when then-Lieutenant Governor RichardRavitch presented his Ravitch Plan budget measures hehoped the Legislature would adopt GAAP budgeting wasamong the cornerstones.
With Governor Andrew Cuomo in office and pledgedto reform, it behooves our legislators, including Silver,to help him truly bring about a GAAP, balanced budget.Just saying we have a GAAP budget obviously isnt thesame as having one. With a $15 billion debt looming, theneed for GAAP is great.
With a pen stroke When President Obama signed the James R. Zadroga
9/11 Health and Compensation Act into law last Sundayin Hawaii, the stroke of his pen signaled the commitmentand recognition this country has always shown its heroes.But there is no doubt that it was loudest here in LowerManhattan.
His signature represented the end of a seven-year fight.There are literally too many people to thank for their advo-cacy, time spent and dedication to the issue. In the last five
months alone, Lower Manhattan community members, elect-ed officials and 9/11 first responders made numerous tripsto Washington D.C. to lobby lawmakers and to illustrate theimportance of the bill. No one ever stopped fighting.
It was unconscionable to see the bill voted downin the House of Representatives last July in a bitter,bi-partisan vote. But it was exhilarating to see the NewYork Congressional delegation stand strong and united,Democrats and Republicans alike, much like the daysand months after the attacks that forever changed LowerManhattan, the United States and the world.
We would like to say, Thank You, to everyone whomade the bill a reality.
College, combat
connection
To The Editor:Re A streetcar named Pearl Harbor:
Getting onboard (notebook, by JerryTallmer, Dec. 22):
I love this account of Tallmers Dartmouthdoings around the time of Pearl Harbor.Being a Dartmouth guy myself, with a father,Class of 1936, who served in North Africaand Europe, and having just written a WorldWar II-oriented novel, all this is fascinating
to me. Nice writing, too.
Dave Bergengren
Make crossing West St.
safe
To The Editor:As a result of the death of pedestrian
Marilyn Feng on Feb. 13, 2009, the Battery
Park City community was reminded of theunusually short time of traffic light intervalsto cross treacherous West St.
In response, the Department ofTransportation increased the tim-ing so one could cross without runninga sprint. Recently, again owing to com-munity concerns, the Lower ManhattanDevelopment Corporation provided a $1.2million grant to station crossing guards atthe intersections at Chambers St. and south-ward on weekdays during normal businesshours only, and not inclusive of weekends.
Without notifying the community, D.O.T.has once again restored the short time inter-
vals to those that were in effect in February2009. All you have to do is watch thosehard-working guards urging people to walkfaster as the lights quickly change.
Did anyone responsible for restoring theshorter intervals know that we do not have24/7 guards? And why was this been donewithout public notification and input? Letshope that Community Board 1 and our localrepresentatives take to task those respon-sible, and restore intervals that allow all tosafely walk not run across West St.
John Brindisi
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Transit SamThe Answer man
Dear Transit Sam,Having waited somewhat impatiently these many
months for an M21 bus stop to be set up at the entranceto the subway station on the north side of Houston Streetat Broadway (heading towards West Street), I noted withsome dismay the other day that a new bus stop was set upon the south side of Houston Street at Broadway (headingtowards the FDR Drive), despite our plea.
The distance between the bus stops at Mott and GreeneStreets seems sufficient enough to warrant a bus stop at theBroadway-Lafayette B, D, F, V subway entrance, which isalmost at the midway point between the stops at Mott andGreene streets.
Establishing the stop on the south side of Houston Street atBroadway serves no useful purpose at all whereas the request-ed stop on the north side towards West Street would be a greatconvenience for all passengers, especially the elderly.
Hopefully, whats been done can be undone and correctedwith your support. Please follow up on our behalf.
Mel,Lower East Side
Dear Mel,I have great news, Mel. Theres nothing that needs
to be undone or corrected. There are new stops on bothsides of Houston Street as of this writing (see photo)between Crosby Street and Broadway. The sign on thesouth side was installed first, followed by the north sideshortly after (Im told both signs were installed on thesame day on December 18). Enjoy the new stop and
Happy New Year!
Transit Sam
Dear Transit Sam,I bought an $89 TransitChek Credit Card before
December 30. However, I didnt purchase my unlimitedMetroCard until January 2. When I went to purchasemy MetroCard from the vending machine, I was charged$104. Shouldnt I have been charged only $89?
Tiff, Soho
Dear Tiff,Afraid not! The TransitChek Credit Card is a pre-paid
card that allows you to buy your MetroCard tax-free. It isnot (I repeat, not) the actual MetroCard. So, if you hadpurchased the actual MetroCard prior to December 30,you wouldve been charged only $89. But because youneeded to use the pre-paid credit card to purchase theactual Metrocard, you needed to buy it by 11:59 p.m.December 29 to save the $15. Now you know for the nexttime fares go up.
Transit Sam
Happy New Year! Have a question about a parkingticket, traffic rules, public transportation, ASP or more?Want to know how to get a copy of my 2011 ParkingCalendar? If so, send me an e-mail at [email protected] or write to Transit Sam, 611 Broadway,Suite 415, New York, NY 10012.
How was the citys response to the snow and trash removal after the storm?
Bad. It was horrifically, unusually bad. Ive seen similarstorms within a couple inches without the same problem.
James Sutton, Queens
Poor. Ive lived in the city since 1999. This happens everyyear. Youd think they wouldve figured it by now.
Phoebe, Bed-stuy, Brooklyn
It was a storm. Its wintertime. Its the city. People shouldjust deal with it.
Ron Blackburn, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Downtown Express photo by Joshua Knoller
M21 riders now have a closer connection to the
Broadway-Lafayette subway station with the addition of
a stop near Houston Street and Broadway. Pictured is
the new stop heading towards West Street.
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January 5 - 11, 201110 downtown express
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$400, a credit card and her drivers licensehad been stolen.
Christmas punchesA woman told police she was walk-
ing on State St. at Battery Pl. around 9:40p.m. Christmas Day when four teenage girlsdescended on her, punched her in the faceand managed to take a gold ring from herfinger and $50 in cash from her pocket. Themuggers fled north and disappeared into asubway station, the victim said.
Sleeping victimTransit police spotted a man with two
accomplices going through the pockets ofa sleeping 19-year-old man from Queenson an E train at Chambers St. around1 a.m. Sat., Jan. 1. They arrested JamalBroadie, 43; Andre Brown, 47 and TerryLee, 56.
Meatpacking murderNicholas Brooks, 24, arrested Thurs.,
Dec. 9 in connection with the death ofSylvie Cachay, 33, a swimwear designerfound dead in a bathtub at Soho House,the exclusive hotel club in the GansevoortMarket District, was arraigned on Tues.,Jan. 4, on a charge of second degreemurder.
Brooks, of 60 Second Ave., checked intothe hotel with the victim during the earlyhours of Dec. 9 and was arrested later thatday after he returned to the hotel at 29 NinthAve. at 13th St. where the victims half-clothedbody had been found with strangle marks onher neck in the overflowing tub. Cachay, aresident of W. 10th St. near Hudson, reportedlywas breaking up with Brooks. The suspect isthe son of Joseph Brooks, an Oscar-winningsongwriter facing charges of raping 11 aspir-ing actresses. Nicholas Brooks was being heldwithout bail pending a court appearance laterthis week.
Albert Amateau
POLICE BLOTTERContinued from page 4
www.
DOWNTOWNEXPRESS.com
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Escape the cold and visit Capri
BY ANDREA RIQUIER
If the bleak winter weather or just thegrinding crush of city life has you down,consider a short trip to Capri. But if airfareis too expensive, try the Capri Caff onChurch Street, where the ambiance and foodevoke the warm charm of the Mediterraneanisland.
Capri is owned by Graziano Lembo andEduardo Erazo. Lembo is a native of Capri,and Erazo studied cooking in Torino for sev-eral years. In 2007 Lembo, who had beenworking in a restaurant in Midtown whileliving on John Street, decided to strike outon his own.
The tiny space has only 19 seats andthe chefs cook in a galley kitchen separatedfrom the dining room by only a glass countershowcasing pastries, such as olive oil cook-ies. The unique set-up may be necessary insuch a small space but it was Lembos planto have an open kitchen. Its more personal,like being in your own kitchen, he said.
For Lembo, the sense of being at homegoes even further. The restaurant featureshis mothers recipes for dishes like pennewith cherry tomatoes, which he said is themost popular dish on the menu. The cherrytomatoes are grown by his parents in Capriin what he described as a big backyard,then canned and shipped to New York.
Because the cost of shipping is so high,Lembo must mix the Caprese tomatoes with
regular ones, but restaurant patrons still getto taste a little bit of Italy in every bite. Even
the walls are Italian they are adorned withtiles that Lembo imported.
The partners are committed to keepingprices reasonable, which may have contrib-uted to their success during the economicdownturn. The prices are very affordablefor the quality I serve, said Lembo mostentrees range from about $9.95 to $14.95.Lembo said that each year business has beenbetter than the last.
The men love being Downtown, andhave watched the neighborhood change inthe past few years. Erazo used to work atthe San Domenico restaurant in Midtown,which had a sister restaurant in the WorldTrade Center called Gemelli, where he wouldoccasionally fill in. He remembers the areabeing very crowded before 9/11, and seesit starting to rebound now. Lembo said heis struck by how residential Downtown isbecoming.
Most of Capris customers are regulars,whether city workers, teachers or lawyersat lunchtime, or neighborhood residents atdinner. Lembo, who is very taciturn, said,Once they try the food, they come back. Ilet the food speak for itself.
Capri Caffe is located at 165 ChurchStreet in Tribeca and is open weekdays from10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to10 p.m., and on Saturdays from noon to10:30 p.m. For more information call (212)513-1358.
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Downtown Express photo by J.B. Nicholas
Capri Caff on Church Street is a cozy alternative to a transatlantic flight.
SPOTLIGHT
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BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER
GARBAGE, NOT SO MUCH IN B.P.C.
New Years Eve was not exactly quiet inBattery Park City and not just because ofrevelers and fireworks. Late into the night, theDepartment of Sanitation was busily at workon South End Avenue with bulldozers andgiant trucks, scooping up snow and carting itaway. By New Years Day, cars and mailboxeshad been disentombed and it seemed probablethat slush puddles at the crossings would bepond sized instead of lake sized.
However, since the Sanitation Departmentwas occupied with snow removal, garbagecollection got short shrift. On Monday,January 3, the super of one Rector Placebuilding reported, Our last garbage andrecycling pickups were on the morning ofFriday, December 24. The normal scheduleis Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Theywere supposed to resume with garbage pick-up today, but nothing as yet. So far, theresno date set for recycling. We now have acardboard mountain out back!
But not all Battery Park City buildingswere bursting with refuse. Currently, 17 ofthe communitys 25 residential buildings plusP.S./I.S. 89 participate in a trash compactingprogram that was started by the Departmentof Sanitation in Battery Park City in 2005.These buildings cart their trash to one of twolocations one in the North neighborhoodand one in the South neighborhood. There itis compacted and stored until the Departmentof Sanitation picks it up. A third compactorwill be installed when the Liberty Luxe andLiberty Green apartment buildings (on NorthEnd Avenue) are completed.
Theres no cost to the building to par-ticipate in the program, said Battery Park CityAuthority spokesperson, Leticia Remauro.Because the trash is smushed, she said, wecan hold it as long as we need to. Its fine ifsanitation cant pick it up right away.
Were fortunate that we have communitycompactors, said a building manager who isresponsible for three buildings that do par-ticipate in the program. He said that they uselittle tractor trailers to transport their trashto the compactors. He noted that without trashcompacting, garbage would have to be set outthe night before the Department of Sanitationcollected it, and that it presented a feastfor rats. The rat problem has been greatlyreduced since we started this, he said.
Battery Park City Authority encouragesevery building to participate in the program,said Remauro. But not every building finds itcan. The super of the Rector Place buildingthat was eagerly waiting for the Departmentof Sanitation to resume its rounds, explained,The compacting stations were incorporated inthe construction of the newer green buildings,and serve the buildings closest to them. Wespent almost two years doing feasibility studieswith the Battery Park City Parks Conservancyand the Department of Sanitation to find asuitable location for the Rector Place/AlbanyStreet buildings. No luck. The compactors arebig, noisy, and require power, water and shel-ter. Literally it was a nimby situation. Andthe Visionaire (the compactor location for thesouthern part of Battery Park City) is just toofar to lug all of our trash.
FOG, FOG EVERYWHERE
When Battery Park City resident JayFine looked out his window on the morningof Sunday, January 2, he saw the harbor envel-oped in fog. Ellis Island protruded through it,as did the Statue of Liberty but almost noth-ing else could be seen. I heard the fog hornsgoing off like crazy, he said, as he took a fewpictures.
Later that day, Classic Harbor Lines yacht,Manhattan, set out for its last cruise of the sea-son a circumnavigation of Manhattan fueledwith a delicious spread of sandwiches, pastries,fruit and an assortment of gourmet teas. All waswell until the boat exited Spuyten Duyvil at thenorthern end of the island and turned southinto the Hudson River. Looking north, build-ings along the banks of the river were visible.Looking south, an impenetrable fog blanketedthe river. The first mate of the boat stood inthe prow, scanning for other vessels. Even themighty George Washington Bridge was soswathed in fog that it seemed like an apparition.As the Manhattan proceeded cautiously downthe river, headed for its berth at Chelsea Piers,the captain blew the horn repeatedly. By thetime the Manhattan reached Midtown, thefog had lessened considerably.
We dont get something like this thatoften, said Henry Mahlmann, president ofthe New York Sandy Hook Pilots Association,when asked about the fog. It doesnt normallywarm up to the high 40s in the middle ofJanuary.
Mahlmann added that barges, tankersand freighters are not allowed to go around
Bergen Point if theres less than half mile vis-ibility, so there were no ships going intoPort Elizabeth and Port Newark during thefog on Sunday.
Mahlmann said that fog typically occurs inwinter when warm air and cold water collide.The fog can be affected by the incoming andoutgoing tides, he said, but you cant write abook as to why it happens. It happens at dif-ferent times and different places.
What a great photo op! said one ofthe Manhattans passengers, a visitor fromPennsylvania. It was an adventure, saidanother.
BIRDS OKAY WITH THE SNOWTo feed or not to feed, that was the ques-
tion. Some warm-hearted humans wonderedhow Battery Park Citys birds were faringin the record-breaking blizzard. Natureprovides, said Vince McGowan, assistantdirector of the Battery Park City ParksConservancy. Feeding birds throwingfood on the ground is feeding rats. Thenative plants along the Hudson River flyway,including Sandy Hook, Governors Island,historic Battery Park, Battery Park City, andHudson River and Riverside parks, have anabundance of food for migrating and per-manent birds to sustain themselves with.McGowan said the birds would be fine.
CUNARD MANIAOn January 13, three queens will visit
New York City Queen Mary 2, Queen
Victoria and the Cunard Lines newestship, Queen Elizabeth, making her maidencall. The last time something like this hap-pened was in 2008, when Queen Victoriawas launched and Cunards beloved QueenElizabeth 2 visited New York City for oneof the last times after an ocean-going careerof more than 40 years. She was decommis-sioned later that year and sold to Dubai as atourist attraction.
If this years celebration is anythinglike the last one, it will be a showstopper.The Cunard ships will arrive on the morn-ing of January 13; early risers will be ableto see Queen Elizabeth steaming up theHudson River to her berth in MidtownManhattan, where she will be joined byQueen Victoria. Queen Mary 2, as usual,will dock in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
When the three ships depart later thatday, they will convene in front of theStatue of Liberty, where there will be afireworks display.
Statue Cruises is offering a ThreeQueens Cruise that evening aboardthe J.J. Audubon, which will leave fromLiberty Landing Marina in New Jersey at5 p.m. and from historic Battery Park at5:30 p.m. The cost of $129 per adult and$75 for children ages 4 to 12, includes din-ner, live entertainment, and cocktails forthe adults. Group discounts and culinaryupgrades are available. For more informa-tion or to make reservations, go to www.StatueCruises.com.
Downtown Express photo by Jay Fine
Ellis Island was all but enveloped in fog last Sunday.
Downtown Express photo by Terese Loeb Kreuzer
The Cunard Lines Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2 in New York harbor in
2007.
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Lectures draw new members to Academy of Sciences
Food is hugely popular as a lecture
topic, said Burke.Burke comes up with the topics for the
series through a lot of reading of currentscience magazines and news sections,looking through publishers book lists andtalking with colleagues at the Academyand at scientific events.
The current series, From Stone Age toInternet Age: How Science Has EvolvedOver Time came about after a conversa-tion with one of the Academys support-ers who told her it was a problem inour culture that people dont understandscience in the context of history. Burkeasked that supporter and several otherpeople who were interested in the historyof science to join her for a brainstormingsession.
We came up with ideas on how aseries on the history of science should bestructured and who we would we like toinvite to speak, said Burke.
The speakers dont get paid, but ifthey come from outside New York City,the Academy pays for their travel andaccommodations. Though most of thespeakers have written books that are soldat a wine and cheese reception after eachlecture, they dont make any money from
the engagement.Ive been told they consider it an
honor to be invited by the New YorkAcademy of Sciences to give a lecture,
said Burke, and they believe in our mis-sion of helping to promote better publicunderstanding of science.
Many of the speakers are prominentnames in the scientific world. Theyhave included Richard Dawkins, authorof The God Delusion, Helen Fisher, abiological anthropologist who has studiedthe science of love and attraction andhas had her research applied to Internetdating sites, and Christoph Koch, a neu-roscientist and former research partner ofFrancis Crick, one of the co-discoverers ofthe structure of the DNA molecule.
In 2011, Science and the City audi-ences will have the opportunity to hearfrom Siddhartha Mukherjee, whose bookabout the history of cancer, The Emperorof All Maladies, was hailed as one ofthe top books of 2010 by The New YorkTimes Book Review.
Because Science and the City hasbecome such a popular program, wevehad more and more members of thegeneral public buying Academy mem-berships, Burke observed. By beinga member, theyre getting discounts toScience and the City events and theyresupporting the Academy.
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Carl Schoonover, a doctoral candidate in neurobiology and behavior at Columbia
University, lecturing at the New York Academy of Sciences on how the brain has
been visualized from antiquity to the present.
Continued from page 7
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January 5 - 11, 201114 downtown express
Downtown Express photos by Jefferson Siegel (above) and J.B. Nicholas
Keep on toboggan; Spray it, dont say it (Blizzard!)During Sunday nights blizzard, a father valiantly pulled his son on a toboggan through Washington Square Park, above. The boy may have been overheard yelling, Mush!
Monday, in the Meat Market, a blower sent snow arcing over Ninth Ave., below.
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downtown express January 5 - 11, 2011 15
Search is on for the right lawyers
ent incurred at or near Ground Zero or the other aircraftcrash sites between September 11, 2001 and May 31, 2002.
Riordan said that 9/11 survivors should shop around for thebest representation.
Just to be force-fed one lawyer doesnt make sense, hesaid. You have to choose the one you have the best relation-ship with and the [most] confidence in.
The people filing claims are mostly former first respond-ers that were injured at Ground Zero or residents who livedbelow Canal Street and were exposed to the toxic dust cloudthat formed after the Twin Towers collapsed.
The original V.C.F. program proved successful between2001 and 2003. Most 9/11 victims were satisfied with theterms, and there were only two documented cases of fraud byclaimants, according to a spokesperson for CongresswomanCarolyn Maloney.
The attorneys representing the victims appear in frontof a special fund master appointed by President Obama,who will act as an arbiter for the distribution of the funds.Riordan compared the process to an administrative proceed-ing. The attorney argues the side, they present evidence,and [the fund master] will make a ruling, he said.
Since December 22, 2010, the day Congress passed thebill, several law firms have reached out to Feal, expressinginterest in representing 9/11 survivors that are eligible forV.C.F. money.
They all e-mailed me, pitched their firms to me, Fealsaid. Its not for me to decide, but for me to put them alltogether, and let the 9/11 responders and volunteers andpeople of Lower Manhattan decide.
He and Riordan are organizing a forum for early or mid-February, where 9/11 victims can meet the attorneys anddecide which one is best suited to represent them. Feal islooking into several sites in Manhattan and elsewhere forthe forum, including C.W. Post and the Nassau Countycampus of Long Island University, which the foundation hasformed ties with. In the meantime, Feal and Riordan willhave a closed meeting with the lawyers to discuss their legalstrategies.
The lawyers, Riordan and Feal stressed, are expectedto go beyond traditional roles in representing the victims.Experience in toxic tort law and medical knowledge, for
example, is a big plus. These [lawyers] should be walkingto the table with some background on the 9/11 first respond-ers, said Riordan, since many of the first responders and
other victims have uncommon illnesses, such as pulmonaryfibrosis, sarcoidosis and asbestosis.
Feal also said the attorneys should be responsive to theindividual needs of their clients, many of who are strugglingfinancially due to costly medical expenses tied to their ill-nesses or injuries. And, finally, Feal said the attorneys shouldbe compassionate.
Weve had enough politicians and lawyers, said Feal.We need a friend. A friend goes a long way these days forus.
The law also places geographical limits for compensa-tion. It states that candidates must have been sufficiently
close to the crash sites at Ground Zero, Shanksville,Pennsylvania and the Pentagon, or along specified routes ofdebris removal. Riordan said work passes, affidavits or other
documentation proving their location at the time of injurywill be necessary.
Congresswoman Maloneys spokesperson said there isa mechanism in place to allow new conditions, typicallyidentified by the clinics, to be added to the list of types ofhealthcare covered under the new law. Feal and others arepushing for certain types of cancer, such as lung and colon,to be placed on the list.
The current list includes respiratory and musculoskeletaldisorders, sleep apnea and asthma. Those with psychologicaldisorders, such as post-traumatic stress, are also eligible fortreatment at the health clinics.
City questions urgency of claims
vention to immediately remove all P.C.B.-containing ballasts in all New York City
public schools, Walcott wrote. LimitingP.C.B. exposure, therefore, merits a morethoughtful and careful evaluation of realisticrisk management strategies, he said.
Replacing the lighting ballasts in thenearly 800 public school buildings that arepotentially contaminated, Walcott explained,would amount to $1 billion and would requireunprecedented amounts of supervision andmanpower. The steep investment, he said,could result in staff layoffs, a loss of educa-tional programs and an annulment of schoolconstruction projects around the city.
We believe that this discussion should
include federal funding to allay the vastfinancial burdens on the city of such an ini-tiative, Walcott said.
Nineteen schools in the Downtown areawere built prior to 1979 and are thereforeat risk of P.C.B. contamination, according todata collected by Communities for Change,a citywide organization representing low-
income families.We saw what happened with lead and
paint we decided we had to be a part of find-ing a solution to this, said Jonathan Westin,president of Communities for Change.
Parents are really concerned about thefuture of their childrens health, said ALordAllah, chairman of the District 1 ParentAdvisory Council.
Allah has been educating Lower EastSide schools about the dangerous toxinssince last fall. He distributed petitions toL.E.S. parents and teachers, requesting theirschools be tested for P.C.B.s. Communities
for Change and New York Lawyers for thePublic Interestthen sent the petitions to theD.O.E. and E.P.A.
The city, however, might have to com-ply with the E.P.A.s initiative in orderto avoid federal penalties. Failing light-ing ballasts, according to Enck, puts thecity at substantial risk under the [Toxic
Substances Control Act].As for the costs, the E.P.A. said that new
lighting fixtures will pay for themselves inlong-term energy savings. The city is alsoeligible for federal bonds, according to theE.P.A., that would help finance the plan.
Congressman Jerrold Nadler, along withNew York Representatives Jose Serrano andJoseph Crowley, recently introduced the SafeSchools, Healthy Kids Act, a new law thatwould set up a federal grant program tofinance P.C.B. cleanup in schools.
We welcome these guidelines for theaggressive and comprehensive abatement of
lighting ballasts under the oversight of theE.P.A., and we renew our call on New YorkCitys Department of Education to step up
its testing and remediation program, Nadlerand Crowley said in a joint statement.
Nadler formed a citywide coalition lastOctober, urging the E.P.A. to take immediateaction. He said he plans to work with schools
and communities Downtown and citywide inan effort to do away with the toxins.
Long-term exposure to the chemicalscan cause cancer, immune disorders andhormonal imbalances in children, accordingto Dr. Warren Licht, chief medical officer atDowntown Hospital. He stressed, however,that theyre only dangerous if they becomeairborne. If its sitting idle in a wall some-where without being disturbed, he said, Iwouldnt worry about it.
P.C.B.s were once widely used to insulateelectrical equipment since they are non-explosive and have a high tolerance for
heat. The E.P.A. banned their distributionin 1979, however, after learning about theirhealth effects.
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 1
Downtown Express photo by Aline Reynolds
John Feal of the FealGood Foundation is setting up a forum to help 9/11 victims find the right attorneys now that
the Zadroga Act was signed into law.
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Clifford is inspiration to students
adults have.Weve toured with some pretty huge
artists who think the world should revolvearound them, said Wolfsdorf. But we knowthat were part of a whole. Its like youre ClarkKent during the day and Superman at night.Were living two lives, but those two lives areyin and yang, and you need both.
Clifford said his teaching gigs provide himwith a sense of balance that most other suc-cessful artists dont have, noting that manygroups quick to make it big are also quick tofall apart. In order to maintain this balance, hemust establish a clear set of boundaries in theclassroom.
The kids see that we have lives, that we
arent just boring teachers, so they want toknow more about what happens on the road,said Clifford. But we dont actually tell them.We usually just give em a funny answer.
Students often frequent the Energys showswith their parents, who are grateful for theopportunity to go and do something with theirkids. When a student, who was an aspiringmusician, expressed some doubts about pur-suing a career in music, the band let her openfor one of their acoustic shows. Clifford stillreceives phone calls from students who havegraduated and gone on to pursue careers inmusic, attributing their success to his encour-
agement and leadership by example.Clifford believes it is important to show his
students that with hard work and ambition,anything is possible. Commitment is one of themost important words in his vocabulary, so itsnot surprising that as last weeks blizzard wasunderway, the karate group gathered to prac-tice and fall, a lot in the snow.
He puts himself into things with full force;he doesnt go halfway, said Wolfsdorf. Thatsone of the reasons weve been able to accom-plish the things we have.
Not many people can wear both hats atonce, but Dean Bevilacqua, Cliffords mentor
and fellow faculty member, said hes a dynamicteacher, and is just plain great with kids.
Hes a pied piper. If you see him at theschool or on field day, all the little kids gatheraround him like little geese, said Bevilacqua.
Bevilacqua has always been a brother figureto Clifford, and began bringing him to shows
when he was just nine years old. Clifford nowopens for bands that they went to see performyears ago.
The Energys sound is heavily influencedby early 90s rock, and ideas for songs come
to Clifford in snippets, which he hands off toWolfsdorf to shape into lyrics. Of the 2,000CDs lining the walls of his room are bands likeREM and Radiohead, who Clifford values fortheir ability to make listeners feel like they arepart of a whole. He makes a strong distinc-tion between this music and his favorite earcandy, bands like Weezer and All Time Low.
Clifford met the bands vocalist, Adam Wolfsdorf, in the Manhattan Youth MartialArts program back in 2000, and the two beganattending open mic nights together. Soon moremusicians joined in, and an early 90s coverband was formed, playing local bars in Bay
Ridge for two years. Clifford and Wolfsdorfwanted to start writing original tunes, andsought out a permanent drummer and guitarplayer in 2005. By early 2006, The Energybecame regulars in Cliffords home away fromhome at Tribecas Knitting Factory.
The band, whose other two permanentmembers include Ian VanderMuelen on gui-tar and Chris Flanigan on drums, has yet tosign with an actual label, but continues torun their own min-label. They work closelywith Wavelength Entertainment and renownedindustry publicist Tracey Miller, and their man-ager, Beth Bogdan, is senior director of artist
relations at Universal. Their booking agency,Supreme Entertainment Artists, is based outof Boston, and represents bands like Maroon 5and Eve 6. Since all four band members workfull time, it took almost a year of traveling toBoston and back every weekend to cut thenew album.
Clifford has no plans to give up either ofhis teaching jobs, and will soon be adding yetanother responsibility to the list.
I have an 18-month-old girl, Rafaela,and when she doesnt think Im cool any-more, Im gonna call on him to take her toconcerts, like I did for him, said Bevilacqua.
Hes already said hes got it covered.The CD release party will be held at 8
p.m. on January 15 at Irving Plaza, wherethe band will be performing later in theevening. The music video for the first singleoff their new album, Go to Girl, is due inFebruary.
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Adult andPediatric Dermatology
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Continued from page 6
You Saw It...
You Read It...
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downtown express January 5 - 11, 2011 17
Activists, pols say Paterson
watered down fracking ban
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 Departmentof Environmental Conservation issuedan 800-page supplemental draft gener-ic environmental impact statement onproposed guidelines for hydrofrack-ing. Environmental advocates, however,said the proposed impact statement was
largely written by gas companies. Thereview has not yet been completed.
But in response to the opposition byNew York City officials who said fracking
posed 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 fromthe 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 report
assessing 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.
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DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY CENTER For information on
swim lessons, basketball, gym class, Karate and more, call 212-
766-1104. Visit www.manhattanyouth.org. The Downtown Com-
munity Center is located at 120 Warren St.
CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF THE ARTS Explore painting, col-
lage and sculpture through self-guided arts projects. Open art
stations are ongoing throughout the afternoon giving children
the opportunity to experiment with materials such as paint, clay,
fabric, paper and found objects. Regular museum hours: Wed.-
Sun., 12-5pm; Thurs., 12-6pm (Pay as You Wish, from 4-6pm).
Admission: $10. At the Childrens Museum of the Arts (182 Lafay-
ette St. btw. Broome & Grand). Call 212- 274-0986 or visit www.cmany.org. For group tours and visit, call 212) 274-0986, exten-
sion 31.
POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUES COPS & KIDS BASKETBALL
SEASON Registration for the Police Athletic Leagues (PAL)
Cops & Kids Program is open through Jan. 10. Manhattan young
people, ages 14-17, are encouraged to participate in the upcom-
ing winter basketball season. Each year, 825 New York City Police
Officers volunteer their time to coach and play basketball, volley-
ball, soccer, softball and flag football. One of PALs signature pro-
grams, Cops & Kids will help you perfect your half-court shot. To
sign up, call 212-477-9450, ext. 389. Visit www.palnyc.org.
THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE MUSEUM The Junior Officers
Discovery Zone is an exhibit designed for ages 3-10. Its divided
into four areas: the Police Academy; the Park and Precinct; the
Emergency Services Unit; and a Multi-Purpose Area for program-
ming. Each area has interactive and imaginary play experiences
for children to understand the role of police officers in our commu-
nity by, among other things, driving and taking care of a police
car. For older children, theres a crime scene observation activity
that will challenge them to remember relevant parts of city street
scenes; a physical challenge similar to those at the Police Acad-
emy; and a model Emergency Services Unit vehi cle where children
can climb in, use the steering wheel and lights, hear radio calls
with police codes and see some of the actual equipment carried
by The Emergency Services Unit. At 100 Old Slip. For info, call212-480-3100 or visit www.nycpm.org. Hours: Mon. through Sat.,
10am-5pm and Sun., noon-5pm. Admission: $8 ($5 for students,
seniors and children. Free for children under 2.
SATURDAY AFTERNOONS AT THE SCHOLASTIC
STORE Every Saturday at 3pm, Scholastics in-store activities
are designed to get kids reading, thinking, talking, creating and
moving. The Scholastic Store is located at 557 Broadway (btw.
Prince & Spring). Regular store hours are Mon.-Sat., 10am-7pm,
and Sun., 11am-6pm. For info about store events, call 212-343-
6166. Visit www.scholastic.com.
POETS HOUSE The Poets House Tiny Poets Time program
offers children ages 1-3 and their parents a chance to enter the
world of rhyme through readings, group activities and inter-
active performances. Thursdays at 10am (at 10 River Terrace, at
Murray St.). Call 212-431-7920 or visit www.poetshouse.org.
MARK TWAIN: A WONDERFULLY FLAT THING Kids who
may not be old enough to read Mark Twains Huckleberry Finn
can get to know the quintessential American humorist and
discover the wonders of childrens theater all in one fun, cre-
ative experience. A Wonderfully Flat Thing is a modern twiston Twains short story A Fable. The adaptation finds Twain and
his animal friends on a journey of self-discovery and magic. Pup-
pets, dance, music and interactive video are the new tricks that
help bring this old writer into the modern age. Manju Shandler,
who created masks and puppetry for The Lion King, designed
the puppets. Recommended for ages 3 and up. Sat., Jan. 8 & 15
at 11:30am, 2:30pm & 5pm and Sun., Jan. 9 & 16 at 11:30am &
2:30pm. At The 14 th Street Ys newly renovated LABA Theatre
(344 E. 14th St. btw. 1st & 2nd Aves.). For tickets ($15), call 212-
780-0800 or visit www.14StreetY.org/AWFT.
ANGELINA BALLERINA: THE MUSICAL Anything can hap-
pen in the world of childrens cartoons: Dogs talk, daffy ducks
spar with rascally rabbits and an aardvark named Arthur goesto school. But writer Katharine Holabird and illustrator Helen
Craig came up with something special when they introduced us
to a mouse who loves ballet. Now, that mouse (star of her own
PBS series) comes to life and comes to a stage near you
in Angelina Ballerina: The Musical. As the curtain comes up,
everyone at the Camembert Academy is all aflutter because a
special guest is coming to visit. Angelina and her friends (Alice,
Gracie, AZ and Viki) are excited to show off their hip-hop, mod-
ern dance, Irish jig and ballet skills but will Angelina get that
moment in the spotlight shes hoping for? This show is appropri-
ate for children ages 3-12. Jan. 8 through Feb. 19, Saturdays at
1pm & 3pm and Sundays at 1pm. At the Union Square Theatre
(100 E. 17th St. btw. Union Square East and Irving Place). For tick-
ets ($39.50-$65), call 1-800-982-2787 or visit ticketmaster.com.
Also visit angelinathemusical.com.
GAZILLION BUBBLE SHOW: THE NEXT GENERA-
TION Three years into its run, the Gazillion Bubble Show
welcomes creator Fan Yangs 20-year-old son into the family
business. Were promised that Bubble Super-Star Deni Yang
will elevate this already spectacular experience to new heights
of bubble blowing artistry). The open-ended run plays Fri. at 7
p.m., Sat. at 11am, 2pm and 4:30pm and Sun. at noon and 3pm.
Running time: 75 minutes, no intermission. For tickets ($44.50 to
$89.50), call 212-239-6200 or visit www.telecharge.com. Visit
www.gazillionbubbleshow.com.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR EVENT LISTED IN THE
DOWNTOWN EXPRESS? Listing requests may be sent to
[email protected]. Please provide the date, time,
location, price and a description of the event. Information may
also be mailed to 145 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY
10013. Requests must be received three weeks before the event
is to be published. Questions? Call 646-452-2497.
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Photo courtesy of Manhattan Childrens Theatre
Hooded for trouble.
MANHATTANCHILDRENS THEATRE
Imagination reigns supreme in the pro-ductions of this theater company whoseninth season is dedicated to classic storiesand characters (with a twist!). From Jan. 8through Feb. 28, MCTs version of LittleRed Riding Hood has a pair of bunglingwolves trying to outfox that little hood-wearing smar