Just out of the tub, soaking soapy wet, the phone rings and I step with pain-wracked knees in fear of falling to the demanding ring ring only to discover that it is a robo call. Okay, this has to end. The only way robo calls will end is if the sender must pay a penalty
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Donations Welcomed at the Church of the Village
For several years, on a weekly basis, I have been dropping off extra food to the Church of the Village. This began when I passed a long line of hungry New Yorkers awaiting meals at Daisy’s Food Pantry, which is offered by the church. Located at 201 West 13th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues,
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Can a Landmarked Church Be Turned Into Condos?
Hi, Andrew. I know this happens. I know of two examples. But I don’t know exactly how a developer can fill a landmarked church exterior with condos, even though it’s been done. Do you have knowledge of this? I am writing an article for WestView on the conversion of St. Veronica into a concert hall.
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Memory As a Bureaucratic Tool
When Corey Johnson was first running for City Council, he came to 69 Charles Street and asked if WestView would support him. I explained that we did not support candidates but that he could write an article expressing his views. He did just that and then, to our surprise, his mother and aunt showed up.
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In Memory of Joan Simons Constantikes-Agnew
Summarized by Anne Olshansky When I started in corporate communications at IBM, they gave me a secretary to share, Joan, who announced that she was dating a Greek lawyer, whom she later married. Joan discovered my brother, John Capsis, in the Westport Phone Book, and the two families became fast, number-one friends. –George Capsis Joan
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Exhibit on Race Riots
By John Gilman In 1967, there were major race riots in over 40 cities across America, including Newark, Detroit, Chicago, and Oakland. An unusual exhibit commemorating these devastating events, and also the 50th anniversaries of the founding of the Black Panther Party (1966, in Oakland) and the White Panther Party (1968, in Detroit), opened in
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Developers Shrug Off Debris at 11 Jane Street
Dear Editors: Several months have gone by since the scaffolding appeared at the 11 Jane Street Garage. This has led to an accumulation of garbage, rat traps, dog feces, plastic bags, leaves, and other detritus, plus the occasional sleeping homeless person. The sidewalk is unhealthy, unsightly, and disgraceful. Thankfully, the superintendent from 31 Jane Street
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A Serious Mistake
We made a serious error in the October 2017 issue of WestView News, which warrants several comments. In “Jim Fouratt’s Have You Heard?” article, he stated: “While St. Vincent’s Hospital was on high alert that day, not one injured person was brought to the hospital during the 9/11 disaster.” This statement was incorrect. After publication,
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Corrections
We need to correct two image credits in the October 2017 issue of WestView: In “Diller Island is Dead” (page 1), the composite rendering is by © Joel Gordon 2017. In “Your Own Concert Hall” (page 1), the photo triptych is by © Joel Gordon 2017. In the October 2017 issue of WestView, the photo
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Obituary: Bernadyne M. Pape
Bernadyne M. Pape (née Eckl), 96, passed away in her sleep at home on Sunday, September 3, 2017, surrounded by her loving family. Mrs. Pape is the mother of Brian J. Pape, a Westview News contributor. She married Norman E. Pape (1919-1994) at Zion Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 17, 1941. They moved
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Legal Thriller Explores the Gritty World of Brooklyn’s Criminal Justice System
Woken in the middle of the night by a call from a panicked woman whose husband had just been arrested, Ken Williams, an African-American attorney based in Brooklyn, is drawn into a murder case that turns out to be more complex and dangerous than he bargained for. Powerful political forces are at work, sending innocent
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Thoughts on the Skeletal Remains of the City’s Abandoned Bikes
An interesting quality-of-life matter in the Village concerns the enormous amount of abandoned bicycles all over the City—and particularly the Village. One does not need to walk far to witness the unsightly empty shell of a bicycle where most accoutrements have been stripped. Often only the frame remains—no chain, no pedals, no seat, no handle
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Tax the Rich
Oh my, how easy! Our very tall (six-foot-five) mayor came up with an exquisitely simple way to raise money to fix the subway—tax the rich. If you, as an individual, make over $500,000 per year (or over $1 million as a married couple) you will discover an increase on your taxable income above that amount
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George Complains
I have the feeling that our WestView readership tends to be older. I mean, I get calls from people who do not have computers, or even a nearby friend who has one, and we still get subscriptions by mail. My tech savvy production people lecture me on revamping the online edition for “younger readers” and
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Congratulations, You Just Won a Scam
A West Village resident recently told me, “George, I just got this crazy call that I had won money and all I had to do was go down to Rite-Aid…[S]omebody was waiting to give me a check if I would just pay him.” She gave me a number and I called it and reached a
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Ben Benson, Our Graffiti-Buster, Gets City Response
Dear Mr. Benson: I am writing in response to your e-mail dated July 26, 2017 regarding handbills posted in the vicinity of the West Village, Manhattan. On August 8th and August 10th various members of the Department of Sanitation’s Enforcement Division inspected the area outlined in your complaint and sighted a total of eighteen handbills
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Reflecting on NYCHA
I recently watched a show called “History of China” and it ended with images of how China is doing today. The show included a shot of several beaming Chinese people who said that they pay no rent and that food is free. That is the ultimate form of socialism that Dr. Lenora Fulani would like
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The Alumni of Caffe Cino
Every year on April 2nd, a group of people known as the ‘Cino Alumni’ gather at the Cornelia Street Café. The original Caffe Cino—the birthplace of ‘Off-Off-Broadway’—was located at 31 Cornelia Street from 1958 to 1968 (it later became Po Restaurant, which also recently closed). The Cino Alumni gather to commemorate the passing of founder
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Arthur Z. Schwartz Re-Elected as District Leader
With petitioning completed on July 13th, only one candidate filed for Male Democratic District Leader for Greenwich Village: Arthur Z. Schwartz, longtime WestView contributor, civil rights lawyer, and anti-establishment Democratic Party activist. Schwartz was first elected in 1995, and also served on the New York State Democratic Committee from 2006 to 2013. — WestView News
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Remembering Kevin Charles Berger
Kevin Charles Berger, of Needham, Massachusetts, passed away on July 8, 2017. He was a resident of the West Village for over 35 years. His love for the neighborhood and the City could be witnessed in the enthusiasm he showed when guiding visiting friends and family through the City streets. Kevin had a passion for
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Bernal-Gonzalez Landlord Backs Off Threat to Evict
Humberto Bernal-Gonzalez, who has lived in his 88 Horatio Street apartment since 1959, was threatened with eviction by his landlord back in April. District Leader Arthur Z. Schwartz jumped in to defend him and showed the landlord that the allegations against the 87-year-old tenant were baseless. As of July 1, 2017, the landlord confirmed that
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Ruth Berk Turns 94!
On August 20th, Ruth Berk, who has lived at 95 Christopher Street since 1959, will turn 94. Ruth was recently released from a stay at Riverside Nursing Home, where she recovered from a fall. Her daughter, Jessica, is planning a party for the occasion at a local restaurant. With the help of District Leader Arthur
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Reflecting on Gardens and Housing
Dear Editors: In writing about and photographing the gardens at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields and Jane Street, Justin Matthews touches on two gardens where I have worked as a volunteer with great joy and love for over 40 years. (See his article “Parks and Gardens of the West Village” in the
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The Jane Jacobs School?
Dear Mr. Capsis: It was very nice to speak with you. We are excited about the new school at 75 Morton Street, and understand from the principal, Jacqui Getz, that it may not be named The Jane Jacobs School. No reason was given. The decision was not 100% confirmed but it didn’t sound hopeful. Do
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Correction
The caption for Tom Lamia’s “Notes and Perspectives from Away” column within the June issue is incorrect. The photo is of the bridge and bridge house in South Bristol, Maine, not the Town Hall.
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Honoring Village Artists Lost to AIDS
The Last Address Tribute Walk is an annual event that honors artists who lived with HIV and/or were lost to AIDS-related complications. The walk took place on June 3rd, after Ira Sachs’ nine-minute film Last Address (2010) was screened at the IFC Center at 3:00 p.m. that day. After emotional comments by the filmmaker, the
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Mount Sinai Continuing to Axe Medical Services
On June 11, 2017 at 7:00 a.m., the Mount Sinai/Beth Israel Medical Center closed its Center for Labor and Birth (L&B), and they did not have New York State’s permission to do so. To avoid having ambulances bring women in labor to the hospital, the hospital’s administrative staff must call the Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
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Commemorating Playwright H. M. “Harry” Koutoukas on Christopher Street
On Sunday, June 4th, a ceremony was held for the dedication of a bronze plaque celebrating the life of H. M. “Harry” Koutoukas at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Christopher Street. St. John’s Pastor Mark Erson blessed the plaque, which is now affixed to a tree well between 85 and 87 Christopher Street. Harry was
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Come See Vincent Livelli: The Greenwich Village Raconteur
Join us for a special presentation by the storyteller of eras past, Vincent Livelli, on July 8th at 2:00 pm at The Jefferson Market Library, in the Willa Cather Community Room. Livelli’s unique lecture will be accompanied by a rare digital presentation provided by Henry Medina Jr., a private researcher who has interviewed and filmed
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Follow-up on Ellis Nassour’s “Villager Heaps Scorn on Verizon”
This is the author’s update to the article published in the May 2017 issue of WestView News. On May 24th, I was informed that the date we were told service would be restored (May 22nd) wasn’t met, and that service won’t be restored until late May or early June. I thank WestView News Publisher Mr.
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Missing Caffe Cino Plaque on Cornelia Street
Pó Restaurant, at 31 Cornelia Street (near Bleecker Street) for 24 years, closed suddenly, and the bronze Caffe Cino plaque that was on the outside wall of the venue has disappeared. (Read more about Pó Restaurant’s closing on page 16.) The owners have sent an email stating that they know nothing about it. Caffe Cino
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Bike Sharing Programs Highlight Need to Realign Transportation Priorities
On April 6, 2017, the New York Post reported that at least five bike sharing companies (competitors to Citi Bike) are attempting to distribute their bikes on City streets without docking stations. This had City officials up in arms and led Transportation Alternatives (a non-profit focused on improving the City’s transportation priorities) to urge the
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Update on “How I Went to Cuba on My Own”
In my February 2017 article in WestView News, I wrote that I was more on my own than I had expected when my friend Anne lost her passport in the Miami airport and could not board the flight to Cuba. Since then, she got a new passport and just returned from Havana (on her own)
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Shall We End WestView?
“Why don’t people support the paper with an ad?” “Why don’t they send us a lousy 12 bucks for a subscription?” You are reading my darker thoughts which, against Managing Editor Andreea’s “Don’t do that, George” caution, I offered in a house ad last month. In that ad, I asked the question: Shall we end
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Savvy Shopper’s Feedback
Buying coffee at McNulty’s, I was surprised to see a handwritten sign reading “Colombian coffee $90/lb.” I asked if anyone was buying it and was told, “Yes, it works out to about $3.00 per cup.” The coffee plants come to Colombia from Ethiopia. —Barbara Chacour
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Briefly Noted: Correction
We received an email from Murray’s Cheese owner Rob Kaufelt thanking us for our “Murray’s Cheese…” article in the March issue, but pointing out that, in fact, the Cheese Bar was included in the sale of Murray’s to Kroger. —Caroline Benveniste
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Briefly Noted: Facility Charge Fleeces Patients
Last week, I received a bill for $15 from Mount Sinai/Beth Israel. I called United Healthcare (UHC), my insurer, to find out what this extra charge was for. I was on the line as the UHC representative called the doctor’s office. They told her to call Beth Israel’s billing department; we were then passed on
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Briefly Noted: Court Date Set for Save Gansevoort Lawsuit
Readers of WestView News are by now aware that the neighborhood group, Save Gansevoort, has been working for more than a year to challenge a developer’s plans to drastically alter the south side of Gansevoort Street between Washington and Greenwich Streets. This is part of the Gansevoort Market Historic District designated by the Landmarks Preservation
