An Idoit’s Guide to Manhattan
By Heather Peterson
In Jeff Nichols’ memoir Trainwreck: My Life as an Idoit, the stand-up comedian divulges his problems growing up with ADD and dyslexia—before he gets into the dirty bits about bong smoking and prostitutes. His story—both troubling and funny—was optioned and recently made into a movie. Sounds like he’s made the most of his dysfunction—but then it turns out the film might not be released. But he was still happy to talk about The Odd Couple, his transsexual eye doctor (and tennis pro) Renée Richards and why he’s glad he didn’t end up working at a hedge fund. Read more
West Side Stories: 24th Anniversary
Back in 1985, a plucky little weekly started appearing in Manhattan news boxes. Those days don’t feel so far away, perhaps because the issues we covered in our early years have a lot in common with today’s news: local politics, schools and, of course, the city’s rollercoaster real estate market.
Then again, so much has changed. Whereas stories of hookers and drug gangs once filled our pages, crime today is at record lows. Read more
Extell Traffic Plan
Push to minimize car use, support shared transit
By Zara Kessler
Traffic and transportation were the focal point of a July 20 meeting convened by Community Board 7’s Riverside Center Working Group.
Riverside Center, a development that includes several residential buildings, a public school, hotel, auto dealership and two levels of underground parking, is being planned for the area between West 59th and 61st streets from West End Avenue to the Hudson River.
Philip Habib, a traffic consultant for Extell Development Company, said that the area will lose about 600 parking spaces Read more
Waking the Dragon
Henry Wan, chairman of the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, and Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe dot the eyes of dragonhead with red paint to celebrate the upcoming event. The heads are attached to the front of the boat as a blessing. The festival, now in its 19th year, takes place in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Aug. 8 and 9. For more photos from the celebration, visit our photo gallery. Photo by Andrew Schwartz
GARAGE WARNING FOR STUDENTS
By James Chang
Park-It garage, at 200 West End Ave., will mount a flashing red light outside its driveway to alert pedestrians of entering and exiting vehicles after concerned parents at nearby P.S. 199 complained to managers.
The garage, which opened last November, originally had no auditory or visual warning signals. The school’s PTA worried that traffic coming and going from the garage would pose a hazard for students at the school, at 270 West 70th St.
In June, the PTA sent a letter to Park-It management urging the garage to install some sort of “warning light or sound” to alert students. Council Member Gale Brewer wrote a follow-up letter to Park-It in support of P.S. 199.
Members of the PTA are “thrilled” with the way the garage responded.
“There are kids going back and forth in front of the garage all the time, not just our kids,” said parent Laura Sametz, who coordinated the PTA’s efforts. “So it is great that the garage is stepping up and doing the right thing.”
“The parents of P.S. 199 are very intelligent and very committed, and if they are pleased with the safety features, I think it’s a good resolution,” Brewer said.
Brewer is working on legislation that would require parking facilities within 200 feet of a school to have, among other features, audible warning signals. Currently, there are no mandatory guidelines for such facilities.
The bill will be introduced in the fall.
JEWISH HOME HOUSING AGREEMENT
By James Chang
After more than two years of negotiations, the staff at Jewish Home Lifecare nursing home, at 120 W. 106th St., recently reached a resolution with their employer regarding housing.
In May 2007, Jewish Home announced its plan to convert the Stern Residence building, where many members of the housekeeping staff, nurses and retirees were residing, into a new nursing home. Tenants, some of whom had lived in Stern for more than 20 years, were supposed to find housing on their own. Many said they felt frustrated and even “betrayed,” especially since a few of them had successfully testified at City Hall on behalf of the expansion plan without knowing they would be displaced.
Stern’s Tenants Association enlisted the support of Community Board 7, Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell, State Sen. Bill Perkins and other local groups in its protest.
Jewish Home eventually agreed to let residents move to the nearby Kaufman building, which had included offices and residences, an option it was initially reluctant to consider.
“It took some effort and time to convince Jewish Home that what they really needed to do was to utilize their own facilities,” O’Donnell said.
Twenty Stern residents chose to relocate to the Kaufman building, where tenants will receive subsidized rent rates. For those who wanted to live off-campus at local condominiums or retirement homes, Jewish Home agreed to help find and fund their housing. On July 8, Jewish Home held a housewarming party for those moving into the Kaufman building.
Both sides are happy with the resolution.
“It’s a win-win situation for both the employer and the employees,” said Bruce Nathanson, senior vice president of marketing & communications at Jewish Home.
Jewish Home “decided to do the right thing and we got a good package,” said Maggie McLean, co-chair of the Tenants Association, who now lives in Kaufman. “Health-wise, it was very draining. But I’m glad I fought.”
LEGISLATURE MOVES ON POLS’ BILLS
By Clara Martinez Turco
Before the State Senate adjourned for the rest of the summer, the chamber passed three bills sponsored by local legislators.
State Sen. Tom Duane’s Family Health Care Decisions Act will allow a patient’s family member, domestic partner or close friend to make health care treatment decisions once that individual has lost decision-making capacity.
“This is vitally important legislation that protects those who are incapacitated and powerless,” said Duane in a statement.
The bill, which was approved unanimously by the Senate on July 17, is now pending in an Assembly committee.
Meanwhile, Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal celebrated the passage of legislation designed to stem violence against women. The first bill prohibits the state from forcing victims of domestic violence to contact their abusers in order to receive state services. The other allows social services districts to inform those applying for public assistance that they may receive information regarding sexual assault.
Both bills, passed by the Senate and the Assembly, are waiting for Gov. David Paterson’s signature to become law.
“The two bills will help to ensure that victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse receive the help and support that they deserve,” said Rosenthal in a statement.
In Defense of Ruth
The geriatric version of Mean Girls, with Mrs. Madoff as Lindsay Lohan
By Lorraine Duffy Merkl
I feel sorry for Ruth Madoff. There, I’ve said it.
Her husband Bernie is a bad guy. If you hate him, join the club. If you think he deserved every day of his 150-year sentence, who’s arguing? If you’re glad he’s going to die in jail, here here. Read more
The Art of the Line
It’s a jungle out there in the New York City checkout queue
By Ben Krull
I have great respect for the ire New Yorkers express when someone cuts in a line. This is especially so when I accidentally go out of turn while placing my Sunday morning order at H&H Bagels, eliciting a shrill “I’m next!” from the person in front of me.
I want to shout, “I thought you had already ordered…I swear it was a mistake!” Instead I shamefully mumble “sorry,” hoping that nobody else noticed my faux pas. Read more
Vendors Target Wrong Neighborhood
To the Editor:
The city has mandated that we need to take better care of our health. To that end, they have decided that more fresh fruit and vegetables were to be delivered to neighborhoods without easy access to them. Instead, fruit carts have set up in the most affluent neighborhoods (“Mobile Merchants Draw Fire,” July 23).
As your article discusses, these carts are often left overnight on the street or parked in neighborhood basements. Instead of clean, fresh produce for people, they have fed our rats and have succeeded in exacerbating another health concern. Read more
