Notes From the Neighborhood
Compiled by Sam Blum, Megan Bungeroth and Sean Creamer
Columbia’s Champ of the Courts
Brian Barbour, a 6-foot-1 junior at Columbia, leads the university’s basketball team, the Lions, in scoring with 14.1 points per game. He’s been nominated for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation’s best point guard, and is one of the best free throwers in the country. We asked Barbour about this year’s season and his role on the Lions. Read more
Notes From the Neighborhood
Compiled by Megan Finnegan Bungeroth, Sean Creamer and Vatisha Smith
WYMORE AND ROSENTHAL REPORT CAMPAIGN FILINGS
With just a few months since he registered a campaign committee, City Council candidate Mel Wymore announced a fundraising total of $64,381, which his campaign said had been primarily raised over the past few weeks. Wymore is the most recent former chair of Community Board 7 and is running to fill Gale Brewer’s term-limited seat to represent the Upper West Side. Wymore now qualifies for the city’s matching funds program.
His opponent, Helen Rosenthal [see our profile in this issue] also reported a hefty sum of just over $60,000, some of which was raised when she initially explored a run for the Council seat in 2009 before the extension of term limits. Rosenthal is also a former CB 7 chair.
NEWS BOX THIEF ON THE LOOSE!
The West Side Spirit has learned that 16 of our news boxes dotting the street corners of the Upper West Side have been stolen! Rumor has it that the nefarious thieves are making off with the boxes in order to sell them for scrap metal. (Hopefully they realize that they can have the papers inside them for free.) If the box on your corner has gone missing, please let us know at editorial@manhattanmedia.com.
But our beloved boxes aren’t the only metal objects being swiped from the neighborhood. Council Member Gale Brewer said that 70 Department of Sanitation public garbage receptacles have been taken from street corners in the district in recent weeks. Police suspect that they are also being melted down and sold for their metal.
If you notice any untoward activity, notify the 20th Precinct at 212-580-6411.
EXPLORING RELIGIOUS LIFE
Robert D. Putnam, acclaimed author of American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us, will be speaking at an Upper West Side synagogue Saturday, Jan. 28 at 1:15 p.m. Putnam will discuss the role of religion in American public life at the Society for the Advancement of Judaism, 15 W. 86th St. The author will explore several findings, such as how roughly one-third of Americans have switched religions at some point in their lives and how young people are more opposed to abortion than their parents but more accepting of gay marriage. The event is free of charge. Call 212-724-7000 for information.
LECTURE LEAD-UP TO CHORALE CONCERT
Behind every masterpiece is not only an artist but someone who has dedicated their effort to learning all they can about the work of art. On Thursday, Jan. 19, the Collegiate Chorale will host a Prelude Series lecture, where renowned musicology expert Byron Adams will speak in depth on Sir Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time. The Collegiate Chorale will perform the piece Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. at Carnegie Hall, 881 Seventh Ave.
The lecture will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Professional Children’s School, at 132 W. 60th St. between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues. Tickets are $10 and are available at collegiatechorale.org or by calling 646-202-9623.
MAN INDICTED FOR UPPER WEST SIDE BURGLARIES
Luis Torres, 50, was indicteed last week for a string of burglaries targeting homes on the Upper East Side, Upper West Side and in Midtown. Police discovered large quantities of jewelry and electronics, as well as over 100 keys and cards, in Torres’ apartment upon his arrest. Torres is charged with three counts of burglary in the second degree for his crimes.
Hotel Thief Admits to High-End Heists
After admitting to stealing cash, jewelry, accessories and electronics from guests at Jumeirah Essex House, the Plaza Hotel, St. Regis Hotel and the London NYC Hotel, James Bennett, 45, pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary in the second degree and one count of grand larceny in the second degree last week. He confessed to attempting to steal employees’ paychecks from the London NYC Hotel before being spotted, then later that day swiping goods from the Plaza and the St. Regis. He had previously stolen a Chopard watch and Cartier sunglasses from Jumeirah Essex House.
“Burglary victims lose more than their money, valuables and prized possessions—they also lose their sense of security in their own homes,” said District Attorney Cyrus Vance in a statement. “Thanks to excellent police work and aggressive prosecution, offenders who prey upon New Yorkers are taken off the streets.”
Notes from the Neighborhood
Compiled by Sean Creamer
VIRGINIA FAMILY SEARCHING FOR SON
Ian Burnet, a 22-year-old white male, 5-foot-8, 131 pounds, with green eyes and curly, dark brown hair came to New York from Richmond, Va., Dec. 26 to enjoy the company of friends during the winter break. On Dec. 30, around 4 p.m., he contacted a friend via text and was not heard from again. His last known location was his friend’s apartment in the area of 139th Street and Riverside Drive.
Burnet is an engineering student at Virginia Commonweath University with no history of drug or alcohol abuse. If anyone has information on his whereabouts, they are asked to contact Det. Sanchez, Det. Davis or Sgt. Greene at the 30th Precinct, (212) 690-8842, or Mark Burnet, his father, at bringianburnethome@gmail.com. Read more
Tapped In: Notes from the Neighborhood
Compiled by Megan Finnegan Bungeroth
LA NOCHE CUBANA FOR LANDMARK WEST!
A friendly fiesta to benefit LANDMARK WEST! in honor of the organization’s founder, Arlene Simon, will take place Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. at 446 Columbus Ave.
Sip on sangria, make merry with a mojito, taste the flavors of Cuba, take to the floor and tango and channel the spirit of 1930s Havana. Read more
Notes From The Neighborhood
Compiled by Megan Finnegan Bungeroth
The numeral “2” arrives in Times Square for the upcoming New Year’s festivities. The giant numeral measures 7 feet and contains 145 LED bulbs. Photo by Andrew Schwartz
Stay Uptown on New Year’s Eve
You don’t have to drag yourself downtown—or heaven forbid to Times Square—to have a blast. Here are just a few ways to ring in 2012 from the comforts of the Upper West Side (and a little bit on the East Side).
Read more
Reimaging the Holiday Wreath
Constructed using used paintbrushes, Cara Enteles “Painter’s Wreath” is one of over 30 wreath interpretations on display at the Central Park Arsenal Building.
Notes From The Neighborhood
Compiled by Megan Finnegan Bungeroth
LAST-MINUTE SHOPPING TIPS
Final sales and super-crowded stores can be overwhelming. For some tips on how to weed through the craziness, we asked the personal stylists of My Wardrobe LLC, an East Side company, for their fashion and shopping expertise.
Tapped In: Notes From the Neighborhood
Compiled by Megan Finnegan Bungeroth
HOLIDAY HISTORY COMES ALIVE FOR KIDS
The newly renovated, recently reopened New-York Historical Society boasts a nifty children’s museum that holds regular family and kid events. This Sunday, the Dimenna Children’s History Museum holds a holiday-themed story hour at 11:30 a.m., followed by a Holiday History scavenger hunt at 1 p.m. that takes children and parents around the museum to discover holiday-related artifacts in the museum’s coffers. Read more
Notes From the Neighborhood
Green Schools Group Co-Hosts Climate Talk
Paul Reale, a climate change expert and a trained presenter with Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, will discuss the science and impacts of climate change, and then engage the audience in a discussion about what can be done about it. Read more
Tapped In: A Passel of Santas
Notes from the Neighborhood
Compiled by Megan Finnegan Bungeroth & Aspen Matis
A little boy stops to find out what all the hullabaloo is about as the Sidewalk Santa Parade marches down the West Side. Budding Santas took part in the event Nov. 25 to raise money for the Volunteers of America’s Holiday Food Voucher Program. These vouchers allow families in need to shop for a holiday meal special to them, rather than relying on a food pantry.
