By Gail Evans On December 3rd I met with 85-year-old George Held in his West Village apartment to interview him about aging. He taught in the English Department at Queens College for 35 years and was a Fulbright lecturer in Czechoslovakia under Soviet rule. Held is also a prolific poet, editor, translator, essayist and book
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Privilege in the Village
By Emily Roemer What is privilege as it pertains to a village, you may ask? Let me explain. By definition, “vil·lage priv·i·lege” is a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to inhabitants of a particular set of streets in lower Manhattan. Sure, a glass of wine might be double (or triple) the
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Important Ballot Proposals—Vote November 5
By Arthur Schwartz Did you know that the polls were opened for voting on November 5 (and on our first five Early Voting Days, which have passed)? There are two important things on the ballot: We get to vote on giving Jumaane Williams the last two years on the normal four-year Public Advocate term. (Yes,
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Racism and Anti-Semitism are Existential Threats
We need to start having more awkward conversations before it gets worse By Arthur Schwartz Pittsburgh in 2018; another attack that year in Los Angeles; six months after Pittsburgh, a shooting in California. These are the latest acts of hate perpetrated against the Jewish community. They came only months before a shooting at an El
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Cell Phone Free Restaurants, Please
By Jill McManus Can anyone tell me of a good restaurant where I can be spared the self-absorbed conversations of cell phone users all around me, and rest my body from microwaves? Many people are trying to fight a robotical addiction to their cell phone. And many others are becoming EMF-sensitive from an overload of
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The Dignity of Work
By Siggy Raible I am retired now and have been for almost eight years. But when I worked I found what I did to “earn a living” dignified and fruitful—I managed my husband’s small law firm. We did not make a ton of money, but we earned our keep. I was floored by the news
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The Shootings in San Diego, the Increase In Anti-Semitic Attacks, and My Soul
By Arthur Z. Schwartz On April 27, just as WestView went to press, there was a shooting/murder in a synagogue near San Diego. It was the second shooting in a synagogue within 6 months; last October there was a shooting/murder at a Pittsburgh synagogue. I am not a religious Jew, and I have learned to
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Stop Privatization of Pier 40, Says CB2
By Bruce Trigg, MD A new generation of Robert Moses-style power brokers plan to privatize the last major public space in Lower Manhattan—if we let them. That’s right, they will push for last minute legislation in Albany to amend the Hudson River Park Act to permit the building of 700,000 square feet of commercial office
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My Favorite Restaurant
We’re asking readers of WestView to submit a description of their favorite neighborhood restaurant. The review we select for publication receives a FREE one year subscription to WestView News. Please submit your local favorite to: westviewarticles@gmail.com GRAND PRIZE WINNER Roberta Curley Recommends: TAVERN ON JANE Jane and Leroy Streets When I crave unique, inventively prepared fresh
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Should Abner Be Deported?
By Stanley Wlodyka In the waiting area of the offices of Judson Memorial Church by Washington Square Park, a boy of around three or four sits on the floor, diligently creating a work of art with crayons for the wall behind him, which is filled with children’s drawings of houses, animals, families, and other happy
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If I Were Pope
By Donna Schaper I would pray, papally, about what it means to be a Christian. I would take all of my fears of fraud with me. I would ask about the end game—and whether revenge or punishment ever got anybody, anywhere, closer to Jesus. I know the punishmentalists and literalists love to “get back” and
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Youth Is 1,000 Eyes
An attempt at self healing by George Capsis, Publisher of WestView News The paper was an accidental happening—I tried to restart the Charles Street Block Association paper started by my neighbor John McAllister perhaps 40 years ago. John was an old time New England newspaperman. I remember him wearing suspenders but he may not have—he
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Corey Johnson’s Vision for City May Need Glasses
By J. Taylor Basker Corey Johnson, City Council Leader, delivered his State of the City speech presenting his proposal ‘A Case for Municipal Control and a Comprehensive Transportation Vision for the Five Boroughs’ telling us what every New Yorker already knows. “Smart, well-developed transportation policy can significantly improve economic conditions and enhance public safety and
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Imparting the Wisdom of the Elders
By David Giller & Helene Abrams Remember the ’60’s and ’70’s? Our generation was so powerful back then…not willing to accept that things are the way they are just because they’ve always been that way. We stood up for what we believed in and we changed the world for generations to come. Then, we got
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Caruso’s Quips
By Charles Caruso No one should have guns but the police and army. Anyone found with a gun should be sent to Arizona for an extended stay in the sun and sand. The color blue is reason enough to be alive. A writer wants fame and fortune and beautiful women, but what he really wants
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5G—Is the Price of This Progress Too High?
By Elizabeth A. Kelley, Executive Director, Electromagnetic Safety Alliance, and Director, EMFScientist.org. The 5th Generation wireless communication infrastructure is being deployed at breakneck speed across the nation, with promises of faster speed, lower latency, greater connectivity and seamless coverage guaranteed with low-Earth orbit satellites. The Federal Communications Commission and 22 U.S. states have issued regulations
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Weed Greed
By Stanley Wlodyka “What’s up man—you smoke?” When asked if his menu contained items besides marijuana, he offered, “I might be able to get some coke.” But that was an afterthought, and not part of his usual wares. A wide smile, every third tooth a golden one, communicated that this fella, though certainly up to
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Eviction by Property Tax
DEATH AND TAXES—A cry of pain from George Capsis Neither can be avoided but one can offer considerable and protracted pain. So when I received a very well written plea for help from a neighbor who was facing an impossible-to- pay jump in real estate taxes to almost $51,000, I sent an e-mail to Chief
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Can the Village Help Save Democracy?
By John Bredin There are few places in America, or the world, with the active civic life of Greenwich Village. Where else would a 90-year-old zoning maven named Doris Diether, who puts the big shot developers in their place, be feted like a celebrity by an overflow, dignitary-studded crowd at Judson church—as she was last
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The Strand Bookstore Landmarking Debate
By Carol Yost There has been a proposal to landmark some buildings near where the 14th Street Tech Hub is going to be. The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) would actually like to include far, far more buildings than the ones now under consideration. In any case, the threat of gentrification arising from the imminent
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L Train Not Shutting Down—But Will 14th Street?
By Arthur Z. Schwartz Back in 2016 the MTA did an Environmental Assessment of its now abandoned plan to shut the L Train down for 15 months, so that it could do electrical repairs in the Canarsie Tunnel. That 200-page report had a half page about mitigation. It said to add some more trains going
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Slogging Through Winter, Part Two
By Jane Heil Usyk I’ve already pushed through December and January. Now there are only three months left to go until beautiful (or mostly beautiful) May. Three months. What can you do with three months? Once I wrote a book in three months. I don’t feel like doing that again, though. Three dark, depressing months.
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The Women’s Rest Room and Abortion
By Dr. Donna Schaper Call me a drama queen or call me a woman. At least call me focused: I have one thing I want changed. It is the lines at the theaters in which women stand while men do not. Unisex bathrooms don’t only help people with “non-conforming” gender identities, they help women in
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Eating the Brand
By David Porat Lexus, Starbucks and Restoration Hardware (RH) are all trying to make friends by tickling your taste buds and satiating your tummy. All three have opened up impressive, or shall I say grand, temples to their brands in the Meatpacking and Chelsea Market Neighborhood. I have enjoyed in curious ways visiting all three and
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Kill the Zombie Park Already, Part VI: “I support affordable housing, but…”
By Alec Pruchnicki As the process to build the affordable and low-income housing called Haven Green on Elizabeth Street continues, Community Board 2 has held several public hearings. At the most recent one, I noticed something new. Virtually every speaker who supported keeping the Elizabeth Street Garden intact started with a phrase like “I support
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Depressed About Trump? Go on Jury Duty
By J. Taylor Basker I received the dreaded letter demanding that I show up for grand jury duty right after the New Year. I had misplaced my response to their questionnaire that probably would have disqualified me, so I received a jury duty notice. I could have gotten out of it, but since it was
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It’s My Turn
By James Lincoln Collier In the recent rather rambling chase for the presidency, there seemed to be a good deal of feeling abroad that it was Hillary’s turn. Bill had had his innings, and despite a small misstep—if that’s the appropriate term—came out of it pretty well. The Bushes believed that it was Jeb’s turn—it
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In Defense of Google
Dear Editors: I don’t agree with the sentiment that Google employees work online (WestView, January 2019) and on the phone and therefore don’t need a large office space—that is totally out of touch. Google is a premier global employer and offers jobs to thousands of people in New York that leave an impressive and lasting
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Seniors in Our City Can Have Scary Choices to Make
By Arthur Z. Schwartz In mid-December I got a worried phone call from George Capsis. An older woman (who I will call Fran for purposes of this article) had found her way to George’s apartment, holding a clipping from WestView about another older woman who George had referred to me with a landlord problem. She
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Notes From Away: War Story
By Tom Lamia I write on the day of the memorial service for George H.W. Bush. Today and during the preceding four days, many have spoken privately and publicly of the remarkable character of Bush 41. A connection between his character and the effect of his service in World War II has been noted as
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If Only God Had Money
By George Capsis Carol Yost, who scans the news with a mesh grid, sent me a Daily News article of November 26 that offered that tenants and developers “stand together” to push for changes in the rent law that will protect the safeguards in the original law of some 80 years ago. Hmm. Well, I do not
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Don’t Just Sit There, Resist—Part VIII: The Trump Effect
For each action in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction. —Newton’s third law. By Alec Pruchnicki After the Electoral College put President Trump in the White House, it appeared that he had invigorated the Republican Party. Mainline Republicans were cowed by his political followers into being spineless enablers of his policies at the
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Jerusalem: No Winners
TAGS: POLITICS, NEWS, OPINION By J. Taylor Basker I have lived and worked in the Middle East since 2007, teaching at an American university in Amman, Jordan. I’ve made frequent trips across the River Jordan to visit Jerusalem, relatives in Israel and friends in Palestine. The first time I entered Israel I was shocked to
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Marcus Welby is Dead
By Alec Pruchnicki, MD During the 1970s when Marcus Welby, M.D. was on TV, I seldom watched it. But, the image of Welby as the kindly, dedicated family doctor we were all familiar with, was well known. This image persists in our memories whether it’s a retired doctor or doctor’s daughter (see WestView September 2018
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“I Have What?” A Toxic Diagnosis
By A. I. Freeman At this year’s annual physical, the doctor entered the examination room with a grim expression. He said, “Tests confirm you have the onset of Trump Derangement Syndrome.” I was shaken. “My gosh, I have T.D.S.! How serious is it?” He replied, “Only Stage One. I’ll share a patient’s history: He was a retired Navy SEAL, a burly rugby prop with Stage Three T.D.S. After taping
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Don’t Just Sit There, Resist—Part VII: Elections Have Consequences
By Alec Pruchnicki The wheels of justice are slow to move, but when they do they grind exceedingly small. —popular axiom. The people of the country have done our part, for now, and produced a Democratic House of Representatives. Many of the congressional investigations of the Trump administration that have been undermined, if not completely
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Glyphosate in Greenwich Village?
By Robert Klein Jr. Glyphosate is used more than any other herbicide in the world, thanks to Monsanto (now Bayer), and it has been detected by laboratory testing in the urine of nine out of ten Americans. It has even been found in breast milk at concentrations much higher than the legally allowed limit for
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Who Else Did 9/11?
By Mark Channing Miller The US attorney’s office has just agreed to take another look at who did 9/11. The accepted view is that a handful of Muslim fanatics trained in U.S. flying schools commandeered four commercial passenger planes and aimed two of them at the World Trade Center, one at the Pentagon, with the
