ELDERLY WOMAN DUPED IN PHONE SCAM
On Friday, Jan, 18, an 86-year-old woman living at West 62nd Street received a phone call from a person claiming to be a relative. This person asked her to send $9,960 to a bank in California. The victim sent the money directly from her bank account. The phone call was found to be fraudulent. No arrests have been made as of yet, but the perpetrator, when caught, will be charged with grand larceny.

DRY CLEANERS ON AMSTERDAM BROKEN INTO
On Sunday, Jan. 20, a 40-year-old male employee and his friend arrived at a dry cleaning shop on Amsterdam Avenue. They discovered the glass entrance door had been shattered and the register containing $800 in cash had been removed. The break-in occurred sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning. There were no security cameras at the crime scene, so an image of the perpetrator was not captured, and the case is still open.

NOT PLAYING AROUND: PLAYSTATION STOLEN IN BURGLARY
A 36-year-old man reported a break-in at his apartment on Columbus Avenue on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 18. The burglar reportedly entered the apartment building through the rear door and stole the victim’s PlayStation, watch, wallet with credit cards, power drill and $300 in cash. The thief then fled through the rear door, and although a search was conducted, the perpetrator was not found. One of the victim’s credit cards was used once, but it has since been canceled. The case is open, and police are working with video surveillance from the scene.

SECRETARY ALLEGEDLY STEALS FROM FORMER BOSS
A 70-year-old woman reported that her former secretary had been taking money orders from her apartment at West 72nd Street. In total, five money orders, amounting to $5,000, have allegedly been stolen and cashed. The money has not been recovered. Police are on the lookout for the former secretary, who is described as a 20-year-old black woman with long straight hair.

TEACHER’S WALLET STOLEN
A 26-year-old female teacher at a high school on Amsterdam Avenue put her wallet on a desk in her classroom on Jan. 14. She left for three hours, and when she returned, the wallet was missing. In total, three credit cards and some gift cards were stolen, along with the Louis Vuitton wallet worth $450. No arrests have been made yet, but the perp is likely to be arrested for grand larceny.

“Yummy Manhole” by Ner Beck.

Upper West Sider Ner Beck, a graphic designer and photographer, is exhibiting his photographs of “Lost and Found West Side Street Art” at Morningside Heights Public Library, 2900 Broadway, 113th Street and Broadway, through May 12. His photos take everyday items, such as a painted fire hydrant, and turn them into a surprising piece of art.

Where do you draw your inspiration for taking photos on the street?

I shoot every day as I go on my daily walks on the West Side. I have learned to walk at a relaxed pace and to soften my vision, so that the subjects come forward to catch my attention. I have found that the trick is to not look too hard for an image to photograph, and to wait for the image to appear. It is a little like when we lay on our backs, stare up at the clouds and start seeing animal or human forms appear. It might be a glowing color on an overcast rainy day, two circles that make a pair of eyes that speak to you, or a juxtaposition of elements that tell a story for that moment. Many of my images contain faces. They have always been interesting to me because they express such a range of emotions to everyone in such a visceral way. They can be compelling in the same way a child loves their stuffed animal or when an adult looks into the face of a family member or their pet. Masks have had an important historical significance and always commanded everyone’s attention.

What was your first piece and where did you find it?

I started shooting street art in 1965 as my final senior project in art college. After graduating I worked as a graphic designer for 45 years. But, I always maintained my interest in found street art. Over the past year I picked up my digital camera and started my shooting walks again. I have lived on the West Side since 1968, and one of the great adventures was treasure hunting on the street for tossed-out furniture and art objects. My photography is a continuation on that theme. My first piece in this series was “Patriotic Plug.” During the 1976 Bicentennial, neighborhood residents painted this fire plug in red, white and blue, and it still survives today in front on Ben & Jerry’s at 100th and Broadway.

What kind of equipment do you use?

When I started my college project I used to use a little 1940s Leica because I could slip it in my pocket and travel light. Today I have a tiny Nikon S7C that is only a little bigger than a credit card but takes very high-resolution photos.

What makes an item photo-worthy?

The image must stop me in my tracks and tell me an interesting story that I have never heard before. It has to have a strong emotion. Humor, sadness, fear, abandonment or something expressing itself in a powerful personal way.

What is your favorite photo and why? 

It is very hard to pick just one photograph because every picture contains a unique message for me. But I think the one that relates to me the most is “Nature Wins One,” which is a tree eating a tire. That tree is on 100th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus across from the Bloomingdale Library Branch. I believe the tire was attached to the tree base in the parking lot to protect the tree from cars bumping and damaging the bark. Over time the tree has grown around and engulfed and crushed the tire. A timeworn urban battle.

Tap Dancer Marshall Davis Jr. joins Savion Glover on stage for a special performance at the newly renovated Bernie Wohl Center inside the Goddard Riverside Community Center on April 19.

Changes Proposed to UWS Retail Rezoning

Earlier this week, the Department of City Planning proposed several modifications to the Upper West Side retail rezoning plan that is currently making its way through the Uniform Land Use Review Process. The proposal will limit the frontages of banks and restrict other retail spaces along parts of Amsterdam, Columbus and Broadway on the Upper West Side.

Many small business owners and residents as well as Community Board 7 and City Council Member Gale Brewer have praised the plan as a way to preserve mom-and-pop shops and keep big-box retailers out, while real estate groups and some BIDs have criticized the plan for limiting business and development.

The proposed changes are intended to help maintain retail diversity and give building and business owners more flexibility, streamline expansion and grant concessions to existing businesses according to a City Planning spokesperson. One of the biggest changes is the introduction of a faster certification process that would let existing businesses apply to expand frontages to 60 feet without submitting an environmental review. It would also increase the maximum residential lobby frontage from 15 feet to 25, a recommendation made by Borough President Scott Stringer, and permanently grandfather stores larger than the proposed allowable frontage, where previously they would be forced to revert to smaller spaces if vacant for two years. Also, construction projects scheduled to be completed within six months will be exempt from any new regulations passed.

Mel Wymore, a Community Board 7 member who has been supportive of the rezoning measure, said that the modifications seem fair and provide “real flexibility and accommodation for local businesses and landlords.” He said that City Planning has been “extremely responsive” to the community’s feedback. The City Planning Commission will be voting on the modifications within the next few weeks.

UWS School Goes Green

Last week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Department of Environmental Protection announced the winners of $4.6 million in grants to community-based green infrastructure projects that aim to improve the water quality of New York Harbor by reducing combined sewer overflows. The Ascension School, at 220 W. 108th St., was awarded $245,213 to create an educational green roof and vegetable garden. The garden will not only provide a learning environment for the students but will help reduce the amount of runoff that flows into the East River watershed by absorbing rainwater.

“The Ascension School will now be able to house a state-of-the-art new green roof, reusing rainwater for growing fruits, vegetables and native plants, all while teaching our schoolchildren about local, sustainable agriculture,” said project manager Will Travers.

Each of the 11 projects that were awarded grants will help keep sewage runoff out of the harbor. When heavy storms hit the city and the sewer system exceeds its capacity, wastewater is released into the rivers in order to prevent it from backing up into buildings. The more water that is absorbed into the ground and permeable surfaces, the less overloaded the sewer systems will be, reducing the quantity and frequency of sewer overflows.

Take a Saunter Around Manhattan

Next Saturday, May 5, the Shorewalkers will hold their 27th annual Great Saunter, a 32-mile walk around the perimeter of Manhattan. Pre-registration is closed, but participants can register in person on May 5. The cost is $20 for non-members; the walk is free for members.

Registration will begin at Heartland Brewery, 93 South St. (at Fulton Street) at 7 a.m. The walk starts at 7:30 a.m. The route will take the group up the West Side, clockwise around the island, arriving back at the brewery at approximately 7 p.m. to rest weary leg muscles and toast the day’s achievement. The tour will meander through 20 parks and provide views of the Statue of Liberty, New Jersey, the Palisades, each of the outer boroughs and all kinds of river sights.

There is a stop for lunch in Inwood Park around 1 p.m, with a mid-morning break at River Bank State Park at West 138th Street and a mid-afternoon break at Carl Schurz Park at East 84th Street. Participants are advised to wear comfortable shoes and clothes and bring extra socks, water, snacks and blister treatment. The walk will take place as scheduled rain or shine. Visit shorewalkers.org for information and registration forms.

‘Today’ Host Raises Funds for Breast Cancer

Last week, Today show co-host and breast cancer survivor Hoda Kotb delivered the keynote address at Beth Israel Medical Center & St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospital’s Breast Service Luncheon at the Pierre Hotel on the Upper East Side. Her speech was followed by an exclusive fashion show by designer Zang Toi. The event, now in its 21st year, raised $600,000 to benefit breast cancer programs.

Music to Stop Violence Against Women

Classical pianist and composer Emir Gamsizoglu will give a benefit concert this Saturday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Fourth Universalist Society’s Gothic Church, 160 Central Park West. Proceeds from the performance will go to the anti-violence groups Men Can Stop Rape, the Center Against Domestic Violence and VDay’s campaign to stop violence against women in Haiti.

Gamsizoglu, who was born in Turkey, was a basketball player until an injury forced him to change his focus to music. His mother, a ballet teacher, taught him to play Chopin’s Waltz in C Sharp Minor on the piano at age 20, and he continued to study piano in Istanbul and Paris. He will be performing selections from Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Prokofiev, as well as his own compositions. Tickets are $20 or $15 for students and seniors, available at the door.

Now, officials have secured federal stimulus funds for rehabilitation work on the 21 city and state housing authority properties. The State Legislature passed a law Feb. 26 to authorize this process, allowing the developments to immediately receive $400 million, plus $75 million a year for operating expenses.

Tenants hope to fix the foundation of the Amsterdam Addition with a new influx of federal funds. Photo by Andrew Schwartz

“Now we have that revenue stream to help us run the largest public housing authority in the country,” said Earl Andrews, the housing authority’s vice-chairman, at a March 24 Amsterdam Addition tenants meeting.

Amsterdam Addition, which spans the area between West 64th and 65th streets from Amsterdam to West End avenues, will get $4.9 million for rehabilitation construction. The money will go toward concrete parapets, brickwork and a roof replacement project. Work will start within the next few weeks and the money must be used by March 2012.

The funding will also be used to clean up scaffolding, which many Amsterdam Addition tenants say is an eyesore and has been treated as a garbage receptacle. Also, per federal guidelines, all apartments must be brought up to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s code. This will be the first time in decades that such upgrades will be made.

“It’s about damn time,” beamed Pat Ryan, the tenant association president, after the recent tenant meeting in the building lobby.

Many tenants who showed up to the housing authority’s presentation hoped the money would be used to address other problems in their apartments.

“It’s a good thing to try to fix up the neighborhood, but what we really need is our apartments fixed up,” said tenant Janet Robinson.

Ryan initially agreed that complaints about faulty appliances, elevators and long waits for repairs needed attention. But housing authority officials stressed that the building’s foundation should take priority.

“At first, to be honest, I said ‘They got to be kidding me,’” said Ryan, the tenant association president. “But the foundation has got to be fixed before you fix anything in the people’s apartments.”

The funding, however, did come with certain conditions. To federalize these 21 city and state housing authority properties, the buildings had to be transferred to a third party. In this case, that is the Housing Partnership Development Corporation, which facilitates partnerships with the government and private organizations to develop affordable housing. The housing authority still owns the land and will manage day-to-day operations.

Also, the housing authority was required to work with a private company, Citi Community Capital, a division of financial firm Citigroup, to raise funds for physical improvements.

State Sen. Tom Duane, who represents the Amsterdam Addition and one other property affected by the change, said the money will help the cash-strapped housing authority avoid service cuts and improve maintenance.

“The legislation,” Duane said, “will eliminate a large portion of NYCHA’s annual budget gap and enable the authority to preserve programs and services that are essential not only for residents, but for all New Yorkers who wish to ensure affordable public housing for generations to come.”