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.

West Side Spirit: You guys have won 11 of your past 12 games; are people more excited around campus about the direction of the program?
Brian Barbour: We have a great alumni base that’s been very supportive of us. And as students start to come back from break, I think if we can keep it going, it can become a big thing around here. When coach [Kyle] Smith took over [before the start of the last season], that was one of his goals.

How do you think your role has changed since the beginning of the year, before Noruwa Agho got injured?
Noruwa was a very vocal leader, very strong-minded, and he was our main offensive weapon. Everyone kind of looked to him. You can’t replace a guy like that. I’ve never been much of a vocal person, but I’m trying to step that up.

What’s been the key to the success of the team the past two months?
Cohesion has been very good. Our defense has been big. But mostly it’s all the different guys stepping up in their roles. Everyone is doing the little parts they can to keep the team going.

Do you think Columbia has a good chance this year in the Ivy League, considering how heavily favored 25th-ranked Harvard is?
Yeah, absolutely! You’re not going to accomplish anything saying this team or that team is better than us.

Intergalactic Party

Going intergalactic never seemed this fun in astronomy class. The American Museum of Natural History is holding a Cosmic Cocktails and Space Arcade event to celebrate the oddities of space by way of live music, indie games and an open bar to “test” the effects of alcohol in a 1g environment.
The event is Thursday, Jan. 26, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Rose Center for Earth and Space(enter from 81st Street). Astronauts must be 21 or older to participate.

The soiree will feature live music by One Ring Zero in the Cullman Hall of the Universe, where they will play music from their album Planets, a tribute to the Solar System. Babycastles, a Brooklyn-based video game studio, will offer patrons a chance to play independent arcade-style video games and explorers will have a chance to study the exhibit Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration, where visitors can discover the smell of the moon, fly over Mars and participate in other space-oriented activities.

Tickets are $75 and include two hours of open bar, appetizers and admission to the exhibition. For discounted tickets for $45, call 212-769-5200 and use the code BEYOND.

Answer to Mosquito Problem on UWS

Residents of West 83rd and 84th streets have been targeted by an influx of mosquitoes recently despite baffled residents’ efforts to eliminate potential breeding grounds and rid the pests from their neighborhood. Late last year, Council Member Gale Brewer wrote to the commissioners of the departments of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) and Environmental Protection (DEP) asking that the city repair or address holes in the surrounding streets left by construction, which residents said were collecting water and serving as ideal homes for the mosquitoes. Sam Miller, assistant commissioner at DHMH, wrote back to Brewer to say that the actual home of the flying bloodsuckers is the dank recesses of the sewer system.

The DEP has been working with the Department of Transportation to flush the sewers beneath the afflicted streets and reports that the mosquito population appears to be lessening. The mosquitoes, it should be noted, have not been found to carry West Nile virus, but have been nonetheless plaguing residents who dare to leave their windows open.

Digging into NYC Buildings History

The Municipal Art Society will hold a series of seminars on how to navigate the city’s agencies and documents to discover the history of buildings. Architectural historian Anthony Robins will lead a four-week course teaching participants how to unearth documentation on a structure’s origins, architects, owners and builders. Attendees will get a crash course in deciphering building records, tracking down information from deeds and obituaries and sorting through archival materials for useful artifacts and clues about a building’s past life.

Sessions will be held each Wednesday in February, starting Feb. 1, from 5:45–7:30 p.m., with an additional weekday field trip to be announced. Classes meet at 111 W. 57th St., 16th floor. The cost is $300, or $250 for MAS members and full-time students. Call 212-935-3960, ext. 1234 to register.

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.”

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.

MLK TRIBUTE THROUGH SONG
The New Amsterdam Boys and Girls Choir high school division is hosting a gathering to celebrate the ideas, works and sacrifice of Martin Luther King Jr. toward creating an equal America. The Choir will perform a program of inspirational songs coupled with readings that will entwine the ideals and spirit of King. The free event will take place Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at 42 West End Ave., 15V (entrance on 66th Street between Amsterdam and West End avenues). To RSVP, contact 646-707-3554.

MLK INTERFAITH PEACE WALK
The 10th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Interfaith Peace Walk will start Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. at the Holy Name of Jesus Church at West 96th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Along the route, walkers will stop at Central Baptist Church, West 92nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue; West-Park Presbyterian Church, West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue; St Paul’s and St Andrew’s Church, West 86th Street and West End Avenue; and Congregation B’nai Jeshrun and Advent Lutheran/Broadway United Church of Christ, West 93rd Street and Broadway. The walk ends at the Holy Name of Jesus Church for fellowship and refreshments.

MLK B-DAY BASH AT SYMPHONY SPACE
Each year, the JCC presents the powerful work of artists whose visions elevate Martin Luther King Jr.’s voice for justice, peace and civil rights.
This year’s free event includes a conversation between choreographers Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Liz Lerman. Collaborating for the first time, they will talk about their new work inspired in part by civil rights leaders King and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. They will also show excerpts of their work, including Zollar’s Give Your Hands to Struggle and Lerman’s The Matter of Origins.

Detroit-born, Berlin-based singer, songwriter, poet and activist Daniel Kahn will also perform. Kahn draws on his roots as a community organizer, stage actor and translator of Eastern European protest songs to concoct furious, lyrical, and electrifying radical Yiddish cabaret. His songs, including “The March of the Jobless Corps” and “Among Us,” connect the dots between King’s Poor People’s Campaign and civil rights issues of today.

Broadway star Elmore James, off-Broadway singer and actor Tony Perry and cantor Magda Fishman will provide a celebration of African-American and Jewish song.

Conceived and directed by Zalmen Mlotek, the program celebrates the power of song to overcome persecution through spiritual music. It celebrates the shared traditions of the African-American and Jewish people. The event is free and open to the public and takes place Jan 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street.
There is no advance registration and seating is limited. Doors open at 6 p.m.

JOIN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY BOARD
The Manhattan borough president’s office is now accepting applications for community board membership. Community boards are charged with representing community interests on crucial issues of development, land use, zoning and city service delivery. Serving on a board is an incredible opportunity to shape neighborhoods, improve service delivery and be at the forefront of sound community-based planning. To find out more about Manhattan’s community boards, learn how to apply for membership or download an application, visit www.mbpo.org. Applications are due by Jan. 13.

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.

Tickets are $75.

For more information, call 212-496-8110 or email landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org.

PARKS RELEASES RFP FOR TAVERN ON THE GREEN

New York City’s Department of Parks & Recreation recently announced the release of a request for proposals (RFP) for the operation of a high-quality casual restaurant and outdoor café at Tavern on the Green in Central Park, just west of the Sheep Meadow near 67th Street.

“Tavern on the Green has long been one of the city’s most unique settings and today marks a new chapter in its life. Now is the right time to re-envision the historic space and give it a new look and a new use,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “We look forward to proposals for the creation of a casual restaurant and outdoor café that everyday parkgoers, neighbors and visitors can enjoy.”

All responses to the RFP must be submitted no later than Friday, March 30 at 3 p.m. The parks department will hold a recommended proposer meeting and site tour on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 10 a.m.

At Tavern on the Green, the department envisions a casual restaurant, outdoor café and bar that will honor the original design intent of the Olmsted and Vaux park plan and exist in harmony with its naturalistic park setting.

The building is currently being restored by the city to a smaller, more historic footprint. The city is performing significant structural and exterior work, allowing a future concessionaire the opportunity to focus on building out the interior to meet their specifications.

The parks department will evaluate proposals based on several specific criteria listed in the RFP, including planned operations for the restaurant, the proposer’s operating experience, plans for capital improvements, the fee offered to the city and the proposer’s financial capability.

ONE-ACTS WITH RED HARLEM READERS

The Red Harlem Readers will present an afternoon of three one-act plays Jan. 8 at 4 p.m. at the Indian Café, 2791 Broadway, between 107th and 108th streets. The Lee Hunkins plays will feature a variety of actors and directors.

UPPER GREEN SIDE RECYCLING EVENT

Now that the holidays are over, take comfort and joy in shedding your unwanted household clutter while helping the environment by bringing your goodies to Recycle-O-Rama. Upper Green Side is hosting the event Saturday, Jan. 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at East 82nd Street between First and York avenues. (Consider hauling boxes across the park your exercise for the day and you can keep that resolution up for at least a week!)

The organization will be accepting electronics, offering industrial-grade paper shredding and collecting clothes. They also accept batteries, corks, eyeglasses, ink cartridges, No.5 plastic, CDs/DVDs, jewel cases and Brita filters.

If you’re not sure whether your outdated BluRay player or magic kit is recyclable, email uppergreenside@gmail.com to check. If you miss this one, they’ll also hold a second event on Sunday, Jan. 29, at First Avenue and East 92nd Street.

RARE BEETHOVEN IN FREE CONCERT

Violinist Akiko Kobayashi and pianist Eric Siepkes will present a concert of classical music, including two rarely-heard early Beethoven violin sonatas from the opus 12 set dedicated to Salieri. The New York-based duo has played together all around the United States and has been praised for their chamber music virtuosity and partnership. The concert, titled “The First Romantic to Post-Romantic: Works from Beethoven to Ysaye,” is free. Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. at Saint Peter’s Church, 619 Lexington Ave.

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).

Midnight Run in Central Park
The Emerald Nuts Midnight Run kicks off at the stroke of 12 from Central Park’s 72nd Street Transverse just south of Cherry Hill. Runners then proceed through a four-mile course, heading east and north before looping back around at the 102nd Street Transverse and finishing back at 72nd Street. The brave-legged can still register for the race at the New York Road Runners headquarters (9 E. 89th St.), and while times aren’t recorded for this fun run, it does count as one of the nine required races for NYRR members to automatically qualify for the 2012 NYC marathon. For those more interested in celebrating on the sidelines, there’s a DJ and dancing at 10 p.m. at the Bandshell, followed by a costume contest at 11 p.m. The race kicks off with fireworks and a laser light show at midnight. More info at www.nyrr.org.

Wallet-Friendly Bar Night
The Upper West Side location of Village Pourhouse offers something of an anomaly for New Year’s Eve shindigs—the option to pay a relatively cheap general admission ($20) and then utilize the cash bar. This is perfect for people who want the fun, crowded atmosphere of the pub and might only drink a few beers but would rather not shell out a fistful of Andrew Jacksons for the privilege. There’s also a $20 option that admits two and comes with two free drink tickets. For those who plan to drink their weight in Blue Moon, however, the Pourhouse also has an open bar ticket for $75 (8 p.m.–2 a.m.) and VIP table tickets for $100. 982 Amsterdam Ave., between West 108th and 109th streets. Call 212-979-2337 for info.

Fun with the Kiddies
For those who want to celebrate with little ones in tow, the Big Apple Circus is putting on a special New Year’s Eve performance at Lincoln Center. Following their 9:30 p.m. presentation of the “Dream Big” show, complete with music, juggling, magic, acrobatics and animals, there will be live music as kids are invited to dance in the ring, grab goody bags and toast a glass of sparkling cider (champagne for the grown-ups) at midnight. Kids tickets from $25, adults from $50, children under 3 who can fit on laps are free. Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th St. More info at www.bigapplecircus.org.

Kwanzaa Celebration
Kick off the revelry with a festival in honor of Kwanzaa at the American Museum of Natural History, featuring performances of song, dance and spoken word and an international marketplace. Storyteller Linda Humes opens the event, followed by performances from The Brooklyn Steppers, Restoration Dance Theatre Company, ADLIB Steel Orchestra and Something Positive, Inc. Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, First Floor, entrance at Central Park West and West 77th Street. Admission included with museum ticket, $19 adults, $10.50 children.

Concert for Peace
If you want to spend New Year’s Eve contemplating peace on earth and taking in the beauty of one of the Upper West Side’s true gems, duck into the Cathedral Church of St. John The Divine for a concert first devised by iconic composer Leonard Bernstein in 1983. This year’s New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace features conductor George Mathew of the Ubuntu-Shruti Orchestra and Christopher Shepard, the music director for the Dessoff Symphonic Choir, as well as special guest Judy Collins and host Harry Smith. They and others will be performing Sir Michael Tippett’s oratorio A Child of Our Time, a choral meditation on political violence and discrimination against vulnerable communities. The program is a celebration of African-American music and the spiritual as a place of sanctuary for all people. 7 p.m., 1047 Amsterdam Avenue. General admission is free, reserved seats $60. Call 212-316-7540 for more info.

Uptown Dance Party
Great news: You don’t have to go to the Meatpacking District to kick it club style on New Year’s Eve. The 92Y is hosting the Millennium Dance Party and an evening of Latin, classic, new-style hustle & West Coast swing music with party hostess Lori Brizzi and a team of fantastic DJs. The first portion of the night is reserved for mixed ballroom dancing, with lessons from 8–9 p.m. and sashaying around until 10 p.m., and then the club beats last until 2 a.m. If you’d rather stay low-key until the big 12 hits, there’s also a concert in Kaufmann Hall with the Knights Orchestra, featuring a champagne toast at intermission, and your concert ticket will get you a $20 entrance to the dance party still going strong at Buttenwieser Hall afterward. 1395 Lexington Ave., $35 in advance, $50 at the door. Cash bar until 1 a.m. More info at www.92y.org.

New Taxi Bill Signed by Governor Cuomo
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the long-awaited and much-debated taxi bill last week, after negotiating specific terms with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and agreeing to include provisions for an increase in handicap-accessible vehicles. Upper East Side Assembly Member Micah Kellner, a vocal disability rights advocate who has been pushing for a more accessible taxi fleet, expressed his approval of the bill after loudly criticizing the Bloomberg administration’s previous ideas on how to overhaul the taxi system.

“This is a taxi agreement we all can hail. I applaud Governor Cuomo for once again championing the civil rights of a disenfranchised community,” Kellner said in a statement. “Not only does this plan add thousands of accessible vehicles to our city’s streets, but it forces the city to develop a long-term plan that is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

The new bill would add 1,500 medallions to the taxi fleet, all of which would be required to be fully accessible, bringing the total percentage of accessible taxis from 1.7 percent to 12 percent. It will also add 6,000 new livery cab street hail medallions, 1,200 of which will be handicap accessible, and allow all livery cabs to pick up street hails in the outer boroughs and northern Manhattan. The city estimates that the sales of the new medallions will bring $1 billion in revenue.

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.

What’s one foolproof style gift for women? For men?
Stylist Latoya Parsons: A foolproof style gift for women is costume jewelry—nothing big and overbearing, but something simple and classy that will spruce up any woman’s outfit. For men, either cuff links or a sport jacket for a classic or trendy look, paired with a button-down shirt and polished jeans.

What’s your favorite fashion gift this season?
Stylist Kristie Cherry: My over-the-knee boot socks are hands down my favorite fashion gift; they are trendy and chic and I wear them in so many different ways and styles. I can wear them with a nice dress and Mary Janes or shorts and knee-high boots.

Do you have advice for shopping for someone else’s style/wardrobe when gift giving?
CEO Keesha Parsons: I visualize their particular style first—what clothes does he or she usually wear? What do they look good wearing? I take into account their skin complexion and their best colors. I think of the fashion designers who target that style, then visualize that person in particular pieces that I like based on color, style and their personality.

DONATIONS NEEDED FOR AMAC

The Association for Metro Area Autistic Children (AMAC) is seeking contributions that will last for the entire year through their Rewards Store. AMAC employs an Applied Behavior Analysis approach to working with children with autism spectrum disorders. Kids are given rewards as reinforcements for positive behaviors and are able to earn points to save up for bigger items like CDs, books, video games, sneakers and clothes, sports gear, makeup and healthy snacks. Donations will be used to stock the Rewards Store so children are provided with incentives all year round. For more information, call 212-645-5005.

SHOW SOME LOVE: VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

For those interested in starting a new tradition of service for the holiday season, here are a few worthy organizations that will happily accept extra hands and hearts.

NYC Rescue Mission
90 Lafayette St., 212-226-6214, www.nycrescue.org

Established in 1872, The New York City Rescue Mission feeds approximately 400 people a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The New York City Rescue Mission looks for people year-round and at the holidays to serve meals, help with dinner prep, clean up, set up tables and chairs, stuff and open envelopes and fill and staple food bags. For education buffs and bookworms, try your hand at GED tutoring (morning and afternoon sessions available).

Coalition for the Homeless
129 Fulton St., 3rd Fl., 212-776-2090, www.coalitionforthehomeless.org

The Coalition for the Homeless sponsors the Grand Central Food Program, a mobile soup kitchen that provides hot nutritious meals to 1,000 homeless New Yorkers every night. Operating between 6:30-10 p.m., meals are packed into three vans and delivered to approximately 31 locations in Manhattan and the Bronx. In addition to meals, thousands of blankets, scarves, hats, gloves, coats and other items of clothing and toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and deodorant) are distributed. Those interested in volunteering should email volunteer@cfthomeless.org.

Room to Grow
54 W. 21st St., Ste. 401, 212-620-7800, www.roomtogrow.org

Room to Grow provides low-income families with individualized parenting support, developmental information and infant and toddler items (toys, clothes, etc.). Volunteers are needed for in-kind donations for families, obtaining donations of new and nearly new baby items, preparing the donations by cleaning, fixing and organizing them, organizing collection drives, assisting with fundraising and events and other special projects.

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.

The story hour, “A Dutch-English-New York Christmas!” will teach tykes about how the familiar merry myths—Santa Claus flying on a sleigh, filling stockings with gifts—and their corresponding traditions came to be, and tell of New Yorker Washington Irving’s role in melding Dutch and English traditions into what we now recognize as American Christmas. Both events free with museum admission; adults $15, kids $5.

LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS BLAST CITY FOR SLOW PCB RESPONSE
While many elected officials and concerned teachers and parents have been working for years to shine the light on the toxic effect of PCB exposure in schools, the most recent studies have shown even more alarming effects on women’s reproductive health. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) have been detected in lighting ballasts and fixtures in over 800 city school buildings, and while the city acknowledges their danger, it has only agreed to a removal timeline over the course of 10 years.

“As an elected official, but more fundamentally as a woman, I find it outrageous that the city has chosen to drag its feet in removing these toxic lights from our schools,” said Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal at a press conference last week to publicize the most recent findings of the deleterious effects of PCBs on women’s reproductive health.

She was joined by Dr. David Carpenter, a PCB expert and professor at the University at Albany, Reps. Jerry Nadler and José Serrano, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, New York Communities for Change, Planned Parenthood of New York City, NARAL Pro-Choice New York and the National Organization for Women NYC.

PCB exposure has been linked to endometriosis, infertility, longer conception times and miscarriage, as well as menstrual disorders and early puberty and menopause.

Rosenthal cited the case of a teacher at an Upper West Side school known to contain high levels of PCBs who quit her job after learning she was pregnant, for fear of the exposure she would receive.

Rosenthal recently introduced a bill to the Assembly that would require the Department of Education to remove all toxic lights from schools within three years.

JEWISH MUSEUM LIGHTS UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The Jewish Museum’s annual See the Light(s) Hanukkah celebration features family festivals, exhibitions from the museum’s collection of menorahs, eclectic music and other events to honor the holiday season. This Sunday, Dec. 18, Hanukkah Family Day runs from 12–4 p.m. Kids can make Hanukkah lamps and sculptures from found objects, design holiday scenes with illustrator Nancy Cote and dance to the tunes of Ben Rudnick and Friends. The museum’s Lox at Café Weissman will offer a special menu, featuring potato latkes with sour cream and applesauce; sufganiyot (donuts) filled with apricot, hazelnut or mixed fruit jam; Napoleon-style layered latkes with house sour cream, dill sauce and lox; and homemade house cheesecake.

Other upcoming events include family concerts by The Macaroons Dec. 25 and Frank London’s Klezmer Brass Band Allstars in concert Dec. 27. Special exhibitions on view include The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats and The Radical Camera: New York’s Photo League, 1936-1951.

Hanukkah begins at sundown Tuesday, Dec. 20, and continues until sundown on Wednesday, Dec. 28.

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.

The presentation, recommended for ages 10 and up, will take place at 7 p.m., Dec. 8, at the Joan of Arc Auditorium, 154 W. 93rd St. Online registration is required at www.presenters.climaterealityproject.org.

Concern about the future is what motivated the New York District 3 Green Schools Group to co-sponsor the event. The group is a coalition of NYC public school parents dedicated to “greening” their schools. The District 3 President’s Council is also sponsoring the event.
“New Yorkers see this erratic weather and worry about what the world will be like for their children. They want to learn the facts and find out what they can do,” said event organizer Emily Fano, a member of the Green Schools Group. “We’d like middle and high school science teachers to ask their students to attend this event with their families. We want to inform and empower our youth to take action on climate change.”

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.

Photo by Hai Zhang