Protecting Art Masterpieces Requires a Steady Hand
The men who normally work behind the scenes at one of the most famous art auction houses in the country were, for once, calling attention to themselves. Members of the art handlers union, Teamsters Local 814, who normally work on contract at Sotheby’s York Avenue location, were locked out as contract negotiations deteriorated last week and had taken to the streets with whistles and the familiar giant inflatable rat, aiming its whiskers at the distinguished façade of the auction house.
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Church Member Arrested During Landmark Protest
A member of West Park Presbyterian church’s governing board, Hugo Meneses, was arrested during an April 17 protest against efforts to landmark the West 86th Street building. The protest was just days before a City Council subcommittee held its first hearing on the landmark proposal, which has already gotten support from the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Meneses was collared for attempting to paint “Stop Gale Brewer’s Forced Landmarking” on the sidewalk shed around the church. Police prevented him from finishing the final word. Read more
Where Is that Puppy in the Window From?
Pedestrians on Columbus Avenue often stop to look at several puppies wrestling in the window of Pet Fashion, a new pet store between West 87th and 88th streets. But a group of West Siders says residents should know that these dogs come from puppy mills, and that the store is not welcome in the neighborhood.
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POLS PROTEST UPSTATE DRILLING
When the state laid out rules on Sept. 30 for natural gas drilling upstate, elected officials miles away in New York City said, “kill the drill.”
That is because the drilling, believed to contaminate water, would be allowed near watersheds where city residents get their drinking water.
Borough President Scott Stringer, along with other city officials, called for the state to ban drilling near the city’s water source.
“Today, we start a campaign with one clear goal: to make certain that before this state’s draft plan become law, it includes a ban on drilling for natural gas in the city’s upstate watershed,” Stringer said in a statement.
The coalition of elected officials and environmental advocates also criticized the proposed buffer zones around watersheds as inadequate to protect water from contamination.
“The proposed mitigation measures do not go far enough,” said State Sen. Tom Duane, in a statement. “It is inconceivable and unacceptable that the measures do not include a ban on high-volume hydraulic fracturing in and around New York City’s watershed and, indeed, in all water supplies statewide.”
The Department of Environmental Conservation will hold a public information sessions later in the year.
