Feb. 12, 2009
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Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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Dear Reader,
The Broadsheet DAILY is e-mailed to subscribers from Monday to Friday. Subscriptions are free; click here to subscribe. We welcome your comments, questions, kudos and criticisms. Send them to editor@ebroadsheet.com. To forward this e-mail, scroll to the bottom and click on the "Forward email" link.
Today's Weather: High: 52°. Low: 31°. Chance of rain. Very windy!
Parking Alert: Alternate side of the street parking regulations are suspended today and on Monday, Feb. 16.
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Standpipe breach at Deutsche Bank
Postmortem
The construction entrance to 130 Liberty St. (Photo: Robert Simko)
The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) said this week that standpipe safety procedures at the former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St. performed well last Thursday when the system was breached. Some public officials did not concur.
After the standpipe failed during the August 2007 fire that claimed the lives of two firefighters, it was equipped with a pressure gauge and charged with compressed air in order to monitor the system's integrity.
This system triggered an alarm around 8:30 a.m. last Thursday because of what was found to be a cut in a standpipe branch on the second floor. However, work did not cease until the late afternoon when a stop work order was issued. An investigation by LMDC and the Department of Buildings (DOB) has since fleshed out what happened.
Despite initial reports from the Deputy Mayor's office at Monday's meeting of Community Board 1's World Trade Center Redevelopment Committee attributing the fluctuation of pressure to a faulty valve in an upper floor, Mike Murphy, spokesman for the LMDC, confirmed via telephone that a break in the standpipe branch was responsible for the alarm.
While the pressure drop was small, it rendered the standpipe inoperable, said Mr. Murphy, causing on-site FDNY personnel to notify local firehouses. At the FDNY's discretion, work at the site continued, while the Fire Department, Department of Buildings and personnel from Bovis Lend Lease - LMDC's primary subcontractor for 130 Liberty - conducted a further inspection of the standpipe, its valves and branches and the compressor pressurizing the line.
Throughout the day, according to both Mr. Murphy and the DOB, various valves were replaced throughout the system in an attempt to regain pressure. At 3 p.m., an additional compressor was attached to the line. The increase in pressure caused a whistling sound to emanate from an as-yet-undiscovered cut in a branch of the standpipe running through a drop-ceiling on the second floor. At that point, LMDC told workers to leave and a stop-work order was issued. By 10 p.m. Thursday night, said Mr. Murphy, the standpipe had been repaired and the stop-work order lifted.
Borough President Scott Stringer, who announced last year's formation of a Borough Construction Watch project at a press conference held in front of the wounded building, expressed concern at the timing of both the evacuation of on-site personnel and public notification. In an open letter to LMDC Chairman Avi Schick, Mr. Stringer wrote, "[The] public was not notified of the incident until 6:30 p.m. Lower Manhattan residents deserve better... Nearly 10 hours after the initial alarm, residents were finally informed of what was happening at this site. This is completely unacceptable."
In response, Mr. Shick and LMDC President David Emil, in an open letter to Mr. Stringer, referenced the incident as one with "no impact to the surrounding area," noting that "Immediate notification to the surrounding community is left to the discretion of New York City," in this case the FDNY.
It still is not clear exactly how the breach occurred on Thursday morning, though LMDC hopes to wrap up its investigation within the next few days. The breach occurred on one of the few floors still undergoing abatement in order to get the building ready for structural demolition.
After the 2007 fire, contractors painted all accessible portions of the standpipe red, to clearly differentiate it from the rest of the building's plumbing. This was not done for the standpipe branches hidden behind sheetrock on floors yet to be abated. Last week's cut in the standpipe took place in an area where work was being done to remove sheetrock and drop ceilings. Possibly the standpipe was mistaken by abatement workers for ordinary plumbing.
As for the present and immediate future, Tony Sclafani of the DOB said that Bovis will be going through the remaining floors to expose all standpipe branches and will paint them red. Additionally, subcontractors are being retrained, and mechanical engineers are marking the standpipe's location on all drawings associated with the project. In the meantime, said Mr. Murphy, facade work and fine cleaning have resumed on the fourth and fifth floors, with the hope that work can return to full speed soon.
Feb. 12 update: All hoists at 130 Liberty St. have been shut down today due to the high wind. While outside work has been suspended minor interior abatement work continues.
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Birthday: Lincoln and Darwin
Feb. 12, 1809
 Feb. 12, 1809 was a momentous day in human history. Two men were born that day who left an indelible mark. In a one-room log cabin around 60 miles south of Louisville, Ky., Nancy Hanks Lincoln gave birth to a boy named Abraham. In Shrewsbury, England, Susannah Wedgwood Darwin gave birth that day to her fifth child, Charles. His father, Erasmus, was a well-to-do doctor who provided his family with a substantial brick house surrounded by seven acres of gardens, greenhouses, an orchard, stables and farmyard. Charles never had to work for a living and was able to devote his life to study, reflection, exploration and writing. His theories on natural selection and sexual selection are the foundation of modern biology.
The two men never met. Though Darwin traveled extensively, most notably on his five-year expedition to South America, Australia and South Africa aboard the HMS Beagle, he never visited the United States and Abraham Lincoln never left it.
Lincoln did, however, visit Manhattan in February 1860 when he gave his famous "Right makes might" speech at Cooper Union that put him on the road to the presidency. This was the speech in which he argued against extending slavery into the western territories.
Legend has it that he stayed at the Cosmopolitan Hotel at 95 West Broadway on that occasion. Built in 1850, the hotel is the longest continuously operating hotel in New York City.
In Lower Manhattan, that is our tenuous connection with the Great Emancipator. Our more substantial connection is an idea that continues to inform our lives: that all men (and these days, we would add, women) are created equal, an idea to which Darwin would certainly have subscribed, believing as he did that all humans and other primates are descended from a common ancestor.
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
An exhibition called "Abraham Lincoln in His Own Words" opens today at the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, and runs through July 12. Open Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Admission, $10 (adults); $7 (Seniors and educators); $6 (students); free to members and children under 12. For more information, call 212-873-3400; www.nyhistory.orgIn New Haven, Conn., a two-hour train ride from Manhattan, the Yale Center for British Art has an exhibit called "Endless Forms: Charles Darwin, Natural Science and the Visual Arts" that opens today and runs through May 3. The museum is at 1080 Chapel St. Open Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Free admission. For more information, call 203-432-2800; www.yale.edu/ycba A painting in the exhibit, "Endless Forms: Charles Darwin, Natural Science and the Visual Arts" now at the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, Conn. The painting is by Martin Johnson Heade and is entitled, "Cattleya Orchid and Three Hummingbirds" (1871, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.)
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Calendar of events
Feb. 12-13
Thursday, Feb. 12
Undercurrents & Exchange at the Winter Garden, World Financial Center
Undercurrents & Exchange is a month-long engagement with the employees and visitors of the World Financial Center. During February, artists will present a new dance every workday during the lunch hour, unearthing the hidden, interpersonal undercurrents of our daily routines. Each short dance will be a world unto itself but also accumulate meaning over the course of the month as the performances reveal the often veiled, but perpetually possible connections within the transitional spaces of the Winter Garden. Coupled with the performances are four displays located throughout the WFC that further explore hidden and improbable pairings. By Zach Morris and Tom Pearson, also featuring choreography by Marissa Nielsen-Pincus and Tara O'Con. Through Feb. 27. Free. 1 p.m.-1:10 p.m. Winter Garden. 212-945-5050. www.worldfinancialcenter.com
Animation Celebration, Part 1 at the Museum of the American Indian
Short, animated films by Native directors in the United States and Canada. Through March 1. Free. 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. (and 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays). Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, One Bowling Green. 212-514-3716. www.americanindian.si.edu
Tommy Sands and His Irish Band at Trinity Church
Tommy Sands, vocals, guitar, whistle; Moya Sands, vocals, bodhran, whistle; Fionan Sands, vocals, banjo, mandolin, performing works in the spirit of social activism. $2 suggested donation. 1 p.m. Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall Street. 212-602-0800. www.trinitywallstreet.org
Test Your Tongue! The Science of Taste at The New York Academy of Sciences
Eating and food have become two of the most popular lifestyle topics of our culture. A well-known chef/food writer and the nation's leading scientist on taste look at our understanding of the science of taste and the chemical underpinnings of flavors, foods, beverages and other edibles. $25, $15. 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. The New York Academy of Sciences, 7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich St. (at Barclay Street), 40th floor. www.nyas.org
Theater: On Stage with 'August Osage County' featuring Estelle Parsons at 92YTribeca
A behind-the-scenes look at the Tony- and Pulitzer-Prize-winning play "August Osage County," with the legendary Estelle Parsons and other members of the cast and creative team. The play's candid look at an American family in crisis has electrifyied Broadway audiences with its thrilling story, captivating performances and scathingly intelligent humor. $16. 12 p.m. 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. 212-601-1000. www.92YTribeca.org/theater
Film: Desi Diaspora: American Short Films by South Asian Filmmakers at 92YTribeca
DJ Rekha selects a program of short films, including Keshni Kashyap's "Hole," a treatise on love and longing, and Sarita Khurana and Fariba Alam's "Bangla East Side," a documentary portrait of four Bangladeshi teens growing up in the Lower East Side of New York City. $12. 8 p.m. 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. 212-601-1000. www.92YTribeca.org/film
 Barry Rosenthal: Found in Nature + Photobotanicals at NY Mercantile Exchange
Opening reception of art exhibit using natural forms to create abstract designs. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. NY Mercantile Exchange, 1 North End Ave., 2nd floor.
Friday, Feb. 13
Exercise class for Seniors at the BPC Community Room
Light aerobics. Free. 10:30 a.m., BPC Community Room, West Thames Street cul de sac (behind Gristedes). 212-321-2647.
Shabbat dinner: Chocolate Shabbat at 92YTribeca
Just in time for Valentine's Day, indulge your sweet tooth for a Chocolate Shabbat with Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Francois Bonnet of Tumbador Chocolate, formerly of New York's renowned restaurant, Daniel.$30 advance / $35 door. 7:30 p.m. 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. 212-601-1000. www.92YTribeca.org
Film: 'Nerdcore Rising' at 92YTribeca
Join MC Frontalot and director Negin Farsad for the New York premiere of this latest investigation of hip-hop that follows Frontalot, the godfather of the nerdcore genre, to both mainstream success and geek glory. Director: Negin Farsad. 2008. 85 min. $12. 8 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. 212-601-1000. www.92YTribeca.org/film
Music: Mike Bones Record Release Show with Endless Boogie and Rooftop Vigilantes at 92YTribeca
Respected label Social Registry presents Mike Bones' new album that channels a more understated, moody Leonard Cohen vibe. With electric-blues quartet Endless Boogie and summertime rockers Rooftop Vigilantes. $10. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. 212-601-1000. www.92YTribeca.org/music
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Downtown bulletin board
Hearing on the redevelopment of Pier 57; School information; Taste of Tribeca; IS89 PTA; Ballroom dancing; Bright Minds demo classes and Open House
ˇˇˇ NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING on Feb. 12:
Pier 57 in Hudson River Park
Please take notice that the Hudson River Park Trust ("Trust"), in conjunction with the Hudson River Park Advisory Council and Manhattan Community Board 4, will hold a Public Meeting and Hearing regarding the proposals for the redevelopment of Pier 57.
TIME:
5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.: Informal Display of Proposals
6:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: Introductions and Overview
6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: Presentations by Development Teams
7:30 p.m.: Start of Public Hearing
PLACE: Hudson Guild Auditorium at Fulton Center
119 Ninth Ave. between 17th-18th Streets
Proposals for the redevelopment of Pier 57, which is generally located on the Hudson River between 14th and 16th Streets, were received in response to a Request for Proposals ("RFP") initiated by the Trust in June 2008. Responses were received on Oct. 17, 2008 and are posted on the Trust's Web site: www.hudsonriverpark.org. A copy of the RFP, along with a description of the Pier 57 selection process to date, is also available on the Trust's Web site. Written comments may be submitted to the Hudson River Park Trust through April 14, 2009. Comments should be sent to Noreen Doyle, Hudson River Park Trust, Pier 40, 353 West St. at West Houston Street, New York, NY 10014. Comments may also be emailed to pier57comments@hrpt.state.ny.us through April 14, 2009. The Pier 57 Public Hearing is being conducted in compliance with
the requirements of the Hudson River Park Act with respect to significant actions.
ˇˇˇ School information sessions for parents of incoming kindergarten students
As
a follow-up to a recent Open House at the Tweed Courthouse where two
kindergarten programs will be housed in the fall, Assemblyman Sheldon
Silver's office has set up additional information sessions for Downtown
parents whose children will start school in September.
During
these sessions, parents will be able to meet with the principals of the
two schools (PS 276 and the Spruce Street School) and Department of
Education staff who can answer questions about the schools and the
application process.
The sessions are scheduled as follows:
Thursday, Feb. 12 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tweed Courthouse, 52 Chambers St.
Wednesday, Feb. 25 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tweed Courthouse, 52 Chambers St.
Thursday, Feb. 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Manhattan Youth Community Center, 120 Warren St.
In addition, Speaker Silver's staff is available to answer questions about the new schools. Call 212-312-1420 or e-mail silver@assembly.state.ny.us for additional information.
ˇˇˇ Taste of Tribeca seeks volunteers
Taste of Tribeca is an annual spring fundraiser for PS 150 and PS 234, this year on May 16. The PS 150 contingent is looking for volunteers as follows:
Public Relations/Media Committee. Volunteering for this committee does not require any in-person meetings. All you need is a few hours to volunteer, a phone and a PC. To join this committee, e-mail Neeta Vallab at neeta@ourmantra.com
Marketing Materials Coordinator. Seeking someone with a graphic background to help create materials (such as newspaper ads or backpack flyers) in partnership with Taste of Tribeca designers. This person will help the Taste Co-Chairs and PR team to maintain consistency in look and feel especially when communicating with the community. Must be available Thursday mornings for meetings. Contact Wendy Chapman or Sarah Reetz
Volunteer Coordinator at PS 150. PS 150 needs a Day of the Event Volunteer Scheduler/Coordinator. This person must be detail oriented and outgoing. You will work with parent volunteers and your counterpart at PS 234 to line up the 350 jobs that we need to fill on May 16. E-mail Lisa Gilroy for more information.
For more information about Taste of Tribeca, go to www.tasteoftribeca.org/
ˇˇˇ IS 89 PTA
Thursday, Feb. 12: PTA meeting in library at 6 p.m.
Thursday, Feb 12: Family Book Club following PTA meeting. In library at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb 13: Valentine's Day Dance. In cafeteria from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
ˇˇˇ Ballroom dance class (for beginners)
Led by 'Doctor Dance' and sponsored by Mosaic Manhattan Church. Thursdays, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Feb. 19 through April 23 in the PS 89 cafeteria. $195 per couple. To register or ask questions call Gregg at 646-335-3342 or gregg@mosaicmanhattan.com
ˇˇˇ Tribeca pre-school demo classes and Open House
Bright Minds Early Childhood Development Center at the Synagogue for the Arts, 49 White St. in Tribeca, is holding two demo classes and an Open House to introduce its
enrichment courses for children from nine months to two-and-a-half years old. Courses include Music & Language, Russian Language
and Literacy and Speak and Stomp. The 45-minute parent/caregiver-and-child classes teach
basic vocabulary in English and
Russian via live music, movement, puppetry, dance and exploratory
games.
Demo classes: Feb. 18 at 3:30 p.m.
Open House: Feb. 16, 9:30 a.m.-noon
Advance registration is required. E-mail registration@brightmindsnyc.com or call 212-920-1014 for more information or to reserve a spot.
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CB1 meeting tonight
Landmark Committee
The Landmarks Committee meets tonight, Feb. 12.
The agenda includes a discussion of buildings at 401-403 Greenwich St., which are within the Tribeca West Historic District. LPC has applied to replace the buildings. The proposed renovation of a storefront at 77 Chambers St. is also on the agenda.
PLACE: Community Board 1 office, 49-51 Chambers St., Room 709
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
All are welcome to attend. Bring photo ID to enter the building.
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