EDITORIAL
Anyone there?
New Yorkers are asking our elected offi cials
to come up big on two key issues affecting
people’s safety and their neighborhoods’
physical integrity. Unfortunately, in each case, our
leaders, so far, are failing us. We’re talking about
preserving speed cameras outside of schools and
the need to add neighborhood protections around
the planned “Tech Hub” on E. 14th St.
That 120 of 140 speed cameras could go dark
last week was an outrage, and is obviously putting
the lives of children and others at risk. The day
after the legislation expired, the New York Post,
using a speed gun, confi rmed drivers were already
speeding again outside a school. Twenty other
speed cameras are set to go dark at August’s end.
Statistics show the cameras have reduced speeding
and saved lives. The Assembly has pushed to
double their number, but the state Senate has
blocked the bill’s passage, with Simcha Felder
trying to tack on adding an armed police offi cer
in every school — a total nonstarter. Meanwhile,
Marty Golden, another obstacle in the Senate, is a
chronic scoffl aw who has been caught speeding by
the cameras numerous times.
No question, Senate Majority Leader John
Flanagan could well have blood on his hands if he
doesn’t call his members back to Albany ASAP, at
least to extend the speed cameras and turn them
back on, or better yet, increase their number.
On the Tech Hub, Mayor de Blasio is simply not
heeding the requests of the community and City
Councilmember Carlina Rivera and her predecessor,
Rosie Mendez. Certainly, that this 21-story
building would include several fl oors for a digitalskills
training center benefi ting locals is terrifi c.
But based on a July 10 hearing of the City Council’s
Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, the
administration is not budging on those requests.
Rivera is pushing for a fourth fl oor to be earmarked
for the digital-skills center, plus wants assurances
it would actually be a place where the
people she sees “walking down Avenue D” would
be welcome and helped. Meanwhile, she and the
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
are begging de Blasio to ensure the surrounding
wedge of neighborhood to the south, east and
west is protected with zoning and / or landmarking,
so the Tech Hub would not ratchet up local
development pressure even higher. That pressure
is real, as witnessed by the new building additions
along that stretch of Broadway, or the new tower
on the former Bowlmor site on University Place.
In one encouraging takeaway, we learned that
the crane would be sited inside the project’s footprint,
so as not to impact traffi c on 14th St., which
would already be impacted by the L train shutdown.
Maybe that’s a feasible model for other 14th
St. projects, such as the two at Sixth Ave.
The Council subcommittee is set to vote on the
needed zoning changes this Thurs., Aug. 2, at 9:30
a.m., followed by the Land Use Committee the
next day, and the full Council Aug. 8. Those dates
could shift, but, due to the ULURP clock, the fi nal
vote will happen in the next couple of weeks.
De Blasio must listen to the community and
make the right call, so that it can be a win-win for
everyone to be proud of.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
N.Y.U. encircling the park
To The Editor:
Re “N.Y.U. buys 7-story residential building on Wash.
Sq. Park” (news article, July 26):
Many years ago — I repeat, many years ago — N.Y.U.
stated at a public meeting that they wanted to have
Washington Square Park as part of their campus. According
to your article’s list of what they already own, it
looks like they are almost there.
Susan Leelike
Stadium still best idea
To The Editor:
Re “Bitter Twitter battle” (Scoopy’s Notebook, July
26):
A bit disappointed with the designation “fanatical”
regarding my efforts to get Assemblymember Glick to
give the option of a soccer arena at Pier 40 a fair, or any,
hearing. “Passionate” perhaps, “dedicated” or “committed.”
“Fanatical” seems to imply that the concept was
less a community ideal, intended to solve a range of
complicated structural and fi nancial Hudson River Park
problems, than a purely personal one. I did then, and do
now, believe it was the best compromise, and the best
suited to prevent further developer giveaways, like the
amendment authored by assemblymember.
In fact, the idea was something new, actually possible
and contextually consistent, rather than the massive developer
giveaway Glick authored — a one-time, lowball
deal for Pier 40, at that, which will now have to draw
funds from other air-rights deals she enabled, and likely
from pier development.
Let’s remember that her actions have now opened
the fl oodgate to one air-rights deal after another. Pier
40 itself, and the entire Hudson River Park waterfront
across the roadway, will be inexorably altered, and
its low-rise character lost forever, because of Assemblymember
Glick. The developers won. I argue that will
be her legacy.
And for those who counter by listing all of her good
works, no argument here. I have always given praise to
Glick where praise is due. But I also argue that whoever
sits in that seat should be expected to do those good
works. It’s the “above and beyond” where genuine leaders
are made.
Glick’s almost immediate blocking of me from Twitter
EVAN FORSCH
was expected, even though my posts were respectful,
if challenging. I challenge the assemblymember to produce
the few tweets I made and let people decide. For
instance, I asked her to assist me on my Freedom of Information
Law request to the Hudson River Park Trust
seeking to fi nd out if the NFL ever paid their bill to the
Trust for its Pier 40 rental, and to produce the contracts,
so we could all see if there were any local hires. For this,
and other like tweets, she blocked me. Still no answer
from her, still no fulfi llment of the FOIL from the Trust
now four years later.
Patrick Shields
Filomena’s ‘lovin’ spoonfuls’
To The Editor:
Re “Filomena Vitrano, 96, the owner of The Bagel”
(obituary, July 19):
Filomena was so great! I used to go to The Bagel with
my mom as a kid and continued patronizing it as an
adult. I briefl y thought I might have a crush on Filomena’s
sister when I was 13.
My order was French toast, mushy inside.
I have memories of the family feel there, the quirkiness
of the round red seats at the bar, the cook’s toupee,
Elvelio and Nick, a group you never wanted to piss
off! You adhered to certain constricts, like eat and get a
move on. People were waiting outside.
There was real maple syrup, not the plastic type. I
went there for every breakfast at a certain age. When
visiting home from Cali., I took every breakfast there I
could over Christmas. I have missed her company for so
long now and will continue to miss it.
Mark Sebastian
Christina’s cakes were great!
To The Editor:
Re “Filomena Vitrano, 96, the owner of The Bagel”
(obituary, July 19):
Filomena was my mom. She would want everyone to
know that her sister Christina Ierardi worked very hard
every day baking cakes and muffi ns for The Bagel that
were made with love and care. They would go so fast
they were sold out in hours. Also her sister Jane Gazzola
was loved by the customers, too.
LETTERS continued on p. 10
8 August 2, 2018 TheVillager.com
/TheVillager.com