THE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF LOWER MANHATTAN


These streets are made for riding By Jefferson Siegel The fumes and noise of motor vehicles were replaced by a peacefully meandering mass of strollers and cyclists last weekend as the city kicked off the first of three car-free “Summer Streets” Saturdays in August. Mayor’s control of schools isn’t working, parents say By Sisi Wei Parents from across the city called for the end of the mayoral control over public education at a public hearing on Aug. 6. Senate piles it on, O.K.’s Gansevoort transfer site By Albert Amateau The other shoe dropped last week when the state Senate voted on Aug. 8 to amend the Hudson River Park Act to allow a Department of Sanitation marine transfer station to be built on Gansevoort Peninsula. Hundreds rally for a new Morton St. middle school By Albert Amateau Nearly 300 West Side education activists rallied in front of the state-owned building at 75 Morton St. last week and cheered as elected officials and community board members demanded that the seven-story building become a local middle school. Push for better building safety at Deutsche and beyond By Julie Shapiro Of the 885 state, federal and international buildings in New York City that are exempt from city codes, one stands out in Borough President Scott Stringer’s mind: The former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St. Community leaders say after the deaths, warnings are heeded By Julie Shapiro In the years before the fatal fire at 130 Liberty St., Lower Manhattan residents asked one question over and over: What would it take to get the government to listen to warnings about the toxic skyscraper? New C.B. 3 chairperson has focused on land use	NEWS Deutsche One Year Later: Families still waiting for answers as they grieve By Julie Shapiro Joseph Graffagnino Sr. never spoke with his son about the dangers of firefighting. Silver feels the heat of a race; says congestion pricing could pass By Josh Rogers and Julie Shapiro Instead of spending his summer negotiating with fellow power brokers in air-conditioned rooms, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said he’s knocking on doors in sweltering 94-degree apartment hallways. Mayor Mike says Dan’s the man By Josh Rogers Mayor Mike Bloomberg, in a scheduled stop-and-chat outside City Hall, endorsed Daniel Squadron for State Senate Tuesday. City Planning gets an earful of East Side zoning fight By Lincoln Anderson, Albert Amateau and Laurie Mittelmann The East Village/Lower East Side rezoning hearing went on for more than four hours at the City Planning Commission on Wednesday. HOWL! makes a break, hasn’t got the FEVA anymore By Lincoln Anderson This year’s HOWL!! Festival will feature New Orleans-style musical marches, “green” giveaways, comic-book and punk panels and eclectic events at the Bowery Poetry Club — but no FEVA. Cyclist slam renews calls for special prosecutor By Laurie Mittelmann Advocates are using video of an officer tackling a bicyclist in Times Square to renew their call for a special prosecutor focused on police misconduct. And they say the state’s new governor seems more likely than any of his predecessors to listen to them. We will, we will rock Soho, Bloomberg says By Sisi Wei Following the rumble of loud rock music, Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced the planned opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum annex in Soho this November on Wednesday.
ARTS DOWNTOWN Sol mates in southern Spain By Bonnie Rosenstock John Reoli didn’t start out to write a gay play or a love story. He says it just turned out that way. “To me, that’s part of the adventure of writing,” explained the actor/playwright. “It’s like being on a ship. You’re the one not driving it. You don’t necessarily know where you’re going.” ‘[title of show]’ perfectly tailored for New Yorkers By Scott Harrah This clever, original musical comedy was first produced more than two years ago off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in the East Village and won an Obie. Its transfer to Broadway has been anticipated with much fanfare, but does it live it up to all the hype? Teen spirits By Jen Anderson Preferring to forget that I was ever a socially inept kid with braces and an unfortunate perm just trying to survive high school, I found the experience of watching the documentary “American Teen” both riveting and mildly harrowing. Now an awkward adult, albeit with a better hairstyle, I cringed when arty Hannah tried to find someone to talk to at a party of popular kids, and later as nerdy Jake recalled the exact moment in middle school when he became shy.	A family comedy (well, sort of) By Scott Harrah Many consider this ultra-dark tragicomedy by prolific avant-garde playwright Christopher Durang to be among his finest works, and for good reason. Elevated cinema By Leonard Quart Now in its third season, Movie Nights On The Elevated Acre takes place every Tuesday in August, starting at sundown between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

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