Points are awarded for differing health violations. Two points are deducted for minor problems such  as improper thawing techniques,  while critical violations that could be considered health hazards (such as hot or cold food being stored in improper temperatures) will cost a restaurant up to 10 points. However, if a restaurant doesn’t earn a grade of A during the initial inspection, they are able to appeal to the DOH and post a “grade pending” sign. According to City and State, the average grade in New York City, from the program’s inception in Aug. of 2010 to Dec. 2011, is a B.

An interesting (and stomach churning) divide is illustrated in the study that was released. It seems that some cultural cuisines are cleaner than others with German, Polish, and Bangladeshi restaurants getting the dubious honor of the highest number of violations per inspection. The city’s 24 Bangladeshi establishments, which garner average of 14.7 violations every time the health inspector comes around still get a grade of an A 58 percent of the time. In contrast, Pakistani establishments, which represent the mean of average scores, have nearly half of their locations posting a grade of B or Grade Pending.

Did the Department of Health consider the somewhat politically incorrect nature of the formatting of this report? Is dividing cuisine by country of origin P.C.?

Critics of the new system say that it was devised as a new source of revenue which is costing small businesses thousands of dollars. Currently fines are levied to all restaurants with violations, even those who earn an A. According to Andrew Rigie, the Director of Operations for the New York State Restaurant Association, the increased frequency of inspections is also forcing these restaurants to spend money on sanitation consultants, as well as attorneys to represent them during the appeals.

The city introduced the new system as a way to fast track restaurants into correcting health violations. Indeed many of them have cleaned up their act to get better grades. Pak Nashamen, a Coney Islandbased Bangladeshi restaurant, earned a stomach churning 111 points on an inspection in Sept. of 2011. This inspection wasn’t graded and they appealed the decision. During a follow up six days later, Pak Nashamen only racked up two points of violations. If that’s not progress, I don’t know what is.

Shortly after noon on Thursday, Feb. 16, hundreds of members of the Street Vendor Project (SVP) marched and rallied in front of City Hall in protest of what they consider unfair fines and practices imposed by the city. The SVP, which represents 1,200 of the 10,000 vendors in the city, reported that over 40,000 tickets were issued to vendors by the NYPD for various violations last year.

“We pursue these tickets in litigation and to fight for our members,” said Sean Basinski, director of the SVP at the Urban Justice Center. “Doing some quick math, about 15,000 out of the 26,000 tickets our members got last year still resulted in fines. It’s just crazy, and it’s driving vendors out of business.”

Basinski and the other elected officials present at the rally aren’t arguing for the city to throw the concept of fines out the window. Instead, they’re pushing the City Council to vote on two pieces of legislation that would lower the maximum fine and change the way fines are compounded.

Currently, first-offense fines range from $25 to $50 but quickly rack up with subsequent offenses until they reach sums of $1,000. Offenses don’t have to be related to be compounded, making it common for many vendors to pay over $1,600 a year in tickets. Under the new legislation, fines would only go as high as $250 and would only increase for related violations.

James Williams, an eight-year board member of the SVP and a vendor for nine years, paid $1,000 to renew his license last year.
“I’ve been fined before with $1,000 tickets. Most of us have. Usually it’s for things like licenses not being properly displayed, problems with the tables, having stuff a few inches too far from the curb. We’ve been facing hard times from the police and the Department of Health, who seem to be against us as small business owners.”

The harsh fines have hit many vendors very hard. For Azucena Vasquez, a 38-year-old mother of three, it was the hardest hit of all. After going to college, she was unable to find a job with her degree and turned to vending part-time to support her family. Unfortunately for the ice cream seller, she was written several tickets for different offenses and couldn’t pay the tickets that cost $1,000 each.

“When I went to court, they insisted that I pay the fines. I couldn’t afford to because I have to support my children and they just didn’t care, and now I’ve lost my vending license,” she said.

Many street vendors are also veterans, including the disabled Vietnam veteran Derrick Wilmot. He doesn’t understand the crackdown because vendors have helped fight crime in the past, including the attempted Times Square bombing in 2010. “We don’t rob, cheat or steal. We try to follow the rules and we’re just like everyone else. We want to earn enough to feed our families and at the end of the day go home, relax, watch some TV and spend time with our loved ones.”

“Lower Manhattan is one of the world’s best-known business addresses an international tourism destination and family central,” said Berger. “For over 40 years, J&R has been one-stop shopping for the latest and best in consumer and electronic goods. With J&R Jr., J&R’s new baby and child emporium, workers, visitors and residents will have another great reason to shop in Lower Manhattan.”

The new store goes hand in hand with a recent Downtown Alliance survey that demonstrated Lower Manhattan’s burgeoning population growth and transformation into a thriving, mixed-used neighborhood. Residents have continued to put down roots, and the survey found that 87 percent of residents believed that the quality of life in the area was a key reason for living in the area, with nearly half of residents owning their own apartments.

(For our feature story on Jason Friedman and J&R Jr., turn to page 14.)

GREENWICH VILLAGE

CELEBRATING 95
Edith O’Hara, who founded the 13th Street Repertory Company in 1972, celebrated her 95th birthday Feb. 15. To honor the theater icon, who still serves as its artistic director, friends, family and fans gathered on Sunday, Feb. 12 to celebrate her storied career. She has overseen hundreds of productions. Over the course of her career, O’Hara has been honored with awards by the City Council and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. O’Hara first became interested in theater while attending a one-room school in Idaho, where she saw the 5th grade present a play. Her theater produces the longest running Off-Broadway play, Line, by Israel Horovitz.

CITYWIDE

WELCOMING BENEFIT CORPORATIONS
Fourteen businesses have joined with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and State Sen. Daniel Squadron in making New York the seventh state to allow public benefit corporations. The new legislation, signed in December, allows for a double bottom line of profit and social responsibility. Unlike traditional corporations, which are run by their boards and directors exclusively for the maximization of profit, public benefit corporations allows business leaders to pursue the public interest while still turning a profit. “Starting today, benefit corporations will bring new businesses into our market and unlock billions in investments, all while promoting a new socially minded approach to entrepreneurship,” said Squadron.

STRONGER DRIVING LAWS
State Sen. Daniel Squadron and Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh recently announced new legislation to strengthen Hayley and Diego’s Law, introduced after the tragic deaths of Hayley Ng, 4, and Diego Martinez, 3, when they were struck by a van in Chinatown in 2009. The law, which is aimed at reckless and careless drivers, offers stiff penalties for drivers whose actions result in pedestrian death or injury. Under the current law, drivers on their first offense can have their license revoked or suspended, be fined or face jail time and face a misdemeanor charge if they commit a second offense. However, the new legislation seeks to end the stipulation that an officer must be present at the time of the accident to issue the violation. Now, officers would be able to charge drivers if they have reasonable suspicion that the violation was committed by the driver.

—Compiled by Andrew Rice

To celebrate the release of Scars and Stories, the affable musicians chose to play at the intimate Housing Works Book Café. Seeing The Fray in such a small venue was a real treat for fans. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the crowd was a mix of die hard fans and quite a few couples. You could almost see the cartoon hearts rising above the audience’s heads and popping with a burst of cupid’s bow.

We were lucky enough to catch up with Isaac Slade before he hit the stage for soundcheck before the show.

New York Press: So could you tell me where you got the inspiration for the name of your new album Scars and Stories?
Isaac: Well, it plays into this idea that scars are sexy. There are a lot Mel Gibson, Meg Ryan kinds of movies where you’ll have this guy who meets a girl and eventually takes his shirt off. Then they lie in bed and she traces his scars. It’s a really intimate thing where you can see all the hard things that someone has gone through in life. Our latest album draws a sort of parallel to that where we’re trying to become intimate with our fans.

What exactly do you mean by this intimacy?
I: We were going through an identity crisis with ourselves as a band. With our second album, we knew a little of what to expect but we didn’t really know who we were. Its like when you have someone trying to convince you and saying something tentatively. You can tell. You call bullshit on that. This time we’ve found our voice. If people don’t like it, I can respect that. If they don’t believe us then they’re simply not listening to us.

Sometimes you’ve got to take your time to do it right. Were there any difficulties?
I: When you try to express yourself creatively, you’ll run into difficulties. It comes out poorly at first, but then you massage it, finesse it, and strangle it if you have to. But probably the most difficult thing is asking yourself the big questions of who you are. Are we in this big pop rock, top 40, alternative Bermuda Triangle or do we pretend that we’re a small indie band from Denver that never tours. You’ve got to pick one.

Could you tell us what your single Heartbeat is about?
I: Right before I wrote it, I took a trip to Rwanda and spent some time with their President. Over there, there is this energy in the air that is almost like a pulse. You’ve got to realize that that country almost died, but somehow it managed to survive through all that. I heard stories from people that lived there for over 20 years. It’s about pain and heartbreak and coming through impossible odds.

How long were you working on this record?
I: I’d say two years because that’s how long it took us to write Munich. Some songs we did in a whirlwind really quick but some things took a long time.

And for this record you also switched producers from Aaron Johnson and Mike Flynn to Brendan O’Brien who is known for his work with Neil Young and Pearl Jam. What prompted the switch?
I: Joe and Brendan are golfing buddies we wanted to change up the energy. There are all brand new songs. We wanted turned the pianos down and the guitars up and Brendan is really good with guitars. Plus we also wanted to work with a big shot producer.

Is there a particular reason you chose to play here at the Housing Works Book Café?
I: We’re doing this for charity and because we really like Alan Light who is on the board there. He knows what the hell he’s talking about. So we looked into what he’s doing and were really into it and how they’re helping homeless people with AIDS with job training, food, medicine, and whatever else they need.

– By Andrew Rice

LGBT organizations discuss future with help of local Chamber of Commerce

By Andrew Rice

“Why isn’t this working for us? How’d you do that?” were a couple of the questions posed by the nearly two dozen board members of different nonprofit lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups as they sat down to discuss the future of the nonprofit LGBT movement at large. The event, held Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Standard Hotel in the West Village, marked the inaugural meeting of the local chapter of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s (NGLCCNY) Non-Profit Industry Council.

Representatives from differing organizations sought to meet up in the first-ever think tank. Through events, workshops and outreach, the NGLCCNY provides business development opportunities, financial access and educational resources to LGBT and allied businesses in the New York metro area.

Jennifer Brown, who owns her own consulting firm, facilitated the event at which participants highlighted the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of groups in specific categories such as the arts, culture, health care and business development.

“Just because we’re not for profit doesn’t mean we’re not trying make money and get things done. We have to be nimble and able to pivot as the market changes so we don’t get left behind,” she said.

One of the largest issues of the day was the overlap of various organizations. While each has a particular focus, they compete for the same valuable ad space, funding and grants.

Zachary Barnett, founder and director of the Abzyme Research Foundation, recalled a time when four different organizations had four concurrent campaigns warning of the dangers of crystal meth use in the gay community. “A big part of the problem was that there were all these different groups and no one was talking to each other. There was a lot of mistrust and a lot of overlap between everyone,” he said.

For many of those present, the event offered a welcome chance to sit together amicably and discuss possible collaborations that will help their organizations better serve the community with their limited resources. Steed Taylor of Visual AIDS was one of the many present who believe that the LGBT movement should work toward common aims.

Equally important to those present was the face of the LGBT movement, which many stereotype as white gay males.

“It’s not very accurate and it handicaps us because people don’t see their reflection, especially among minority populations,” said Carlene Jadusingh, who heads her own law firm in Lower Manhattan. She feels that the lack of diversity isn’t reflective of the community at large and that through social media and reaching out to younger people, eventually everyone will be able to see their own face when looking at LGBT material.

By Andrew Rice

“Why isn’t this working for us? How’d you do that?” were a couple of the questions posed by the nearly two dozen board members of different nonprofit lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups as they sat down to discuss the future of the nonprofit LGBT movement at large. The event, held Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Standard Hotel in the West Village, marked the inaugural meeting of the local chapter of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s (NGLCCNY) Non-Profit Industry Council.

Representatives from differing organizations sought to meet up in the first-ever think tank. Through events, workshops and outreach, the NGLCCNY provides business development opportunities, financial access and educational resources to LGBT and allied businesses in the New York metro area.

Jennifer Brown, who owns her own consulting firm, facilitated the event at which participants highlighted the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of groups in specific categories such as the arts, culture, health care and business development.

“Just because we’re not for profit doesn’t mean we’re not trying make money and get things done. We have to be nimble and able to pivot as the market changes so we don’t get left behind,” she said.

One of the largest issues of the day was the overlap of various organizations. While each has a particular focus, they compete for the same valuable ad space, funding and grants.

Zachary Barnett, founder and director of the Abzyme Research Foundation, recalled a time when four different organizations had four concurrent campaigns warning of the dangers of crystal meth use in the gay community. “A big part of the problem was that there were all these different groups and no one was talking to each other. There was a lot of mistrust and a lot of overlap between everyone,” he said.

For many of those present, the event offered a welcome chance to sit together amicably and discuss possible collaborations that will help their organizations better serve the community with their limited resources. Steed Taylor of Visual AIDS was one of the many present who believe that the LGBT movement should work toward common aims.

Equally important to those present was the face of the LGBT movement, which many stereotype as white gay males.
“It’s not very accurate and it handicaps us because people don’t see their reflection, especially among minority populations,” said Carlene Jadusingh, who heads her own law firm in Lower Manhattan. She feels that the lack of diversity isn’t reflective of the community at large and that through social media and reaching out to younger people, eventually everyone will be able to see their own face when looking at LGBT material.

Best Super Bowl Party
Playwright Irish Pub, 27 W. 35th St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.), playwrightirishpubnyc.com.
It’d be hard for almost any bar to top the Playwright for square inches of screen space, as this Irish sports bar has over 80 of them in their two-floor establishment. For a pair of Andrew Jacksons, you’ll get an open bar and buffet to enjoy as you watch the G-Men battle it out with the Pats.

Patriots Bar
The Three Monkeys, 236 W. 54th St. (betw. Broadway & 8th Ave.), thethreemonkeysbar.com.
Two floors of TVs. One giant screen. 36 beers on tap. 13 wins—I could keep going on about the ultimate Patriots bar in the city tucked away in the theater district. Unlike most of its competitors, drinking here won’t break the bank, and all the food from nachos to wings to burgers, is all stellar. Long live the gastropub!

Big Screens Galore
Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant and Sports Bar, 42 Central Park S., mickeymantles.com.
Holy guacamole. This place has more big-screen TVs than you can shake a stick at; they adorn every surface. Get yourself a giant steak, a giant pint of beer, and go root for the Giants. When we take home the Lombardi trophy, you can snag a boisterous carriage ride through the park to let everyone know that you bleed blue.

The Place to Drink
Slattery’s Midtown Pub, 8 E. 36th St. (betw. 5th & Madison Aves.), slatterysmidtownpub.com.
Slattery’s is probably hosting the best drink special in the entire city on Super Bowl Sunday. For an even $50, there is unlimited open bar and combo plate filled with all of your game goodies. But this isn’t your typical open bar where you’re stuck with watery domestics—Every. Shelf. Is. Top. Shelf. Savor it.

Best Eats
Landsdowne Road, 599 10th Ave. (betw. 43rd & 44th Sts.), lansdowneroadnyc.com.
Every football fan knows that the quintessential food for the big game is wings, delicious, delicious wings. Lansdowne is known for having the best wings in the city, with a huge variety. And tons of huge screens means you’ll always catch someone being pummeled into the AstroTurf.

Place to Watch
Jack Russell’s Pub, 1591 2nd Ave. (at 83rd St.), jackrussellsnyc.com.
You can’t beat Jack Russell’s when it comes to watching the game uptown. They have 13 large HD screens and the tables each have their own HD flat-screen TV. If the cheap drinks and all those TVs can’t keep you entertained, there is always the beer pong tables, pool tables and arcade games.

For the Die-hard Giants Fan
Blind Pig
255 E. 14th St. (betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.), blindpigbar.com.
You don’t have to spend big to bleed blue. Blind Pig takes that 1920s speakeasy feel and tosses in more flat screens than those that shine on the Vegas strip. Chow down on the football food of the gods with their impressive wing menu, where everything is delicious. Be sure to get there early so you’ll have a place to stand!

For the Best, Cheapest Drinks
Professor Thom’s
219 2nd Ave. (betw. 13th & 14th Sts.),
professorthoms.com.
The establishment is named after Professor Jerry Thomas, the first American bartender. While this is another New England bar nestled in a sea of blue, the watering hole boasts a large selection of draft beers, cheap pitchers, even cheaper shots, 17 LCD flat screens and legendary nachos to boot. The tailgate party starts at 3 p.m. with a two-hour open bar and free party favors. After the game, enjoy getting home when they start their famous reverse happy hour, which goes from 10 p.m. until closing.

For the Best Eats
Wildwood BBQ
225 Park Ave. S. (betw. 18th & 19th Sts.), wildwoodbbq.com.
With lots of BBQ options and a huge bar, snack on some delicious ribs or pulled pork sandwiches as you watch the game. Wildwood also has a good selection of beers on draft—if you’re lucky and guess the winning team, you’ll get a chance to win a free keg!

If the Viewing Experience Matters to You
The Porterhouse at Fraunces Tavern
Fraunces Tavern, 54 Pearl St. (at Broad St.), frauncestavern.com.
What better way to watch NY go head to head with the Pats than on an 80-inch projection screen with surround sound? $50 gets you access to an open bar and an all-you-can-eat buffet filled with all your football essential food groups: wings, nachos, sliders, potato skins and more.

If You Are Going for the Party
Wicked Willy’s
149 Bleecker St. (at Thompson St.), wickedwillys.com.
For $45, drink as much domestic beer and scarf as many wings down as you can possibly handle here. If the 15-foot theater screen and 10 big-screen plasma TVs aren’t enough, there is always the chance for your own piece of glory with their plethora of beer pong tables and cheap pitchers.

If You Are Rooting for the Patriots
Rivieria Cafe
225 W. 4th St (at 7th Ave.), rivieracafeny.com.
Not everyone who likes football likes the Giants, even though they probably should. For Boston expats or simply those who love Tom Brady, root for the Patriots at the city’s original Beantown sports bar, with 16 HD TVs, fried foods and lots of drafts for game day. Even if you’re not interested in football, the place has an impressive view of Sheridan Square.

For the Die-hard Giants Fan
Blind Pig
255 E. 14th St. (betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.), blindpigbar.com.
You don’t have to spend big to bleed blue. Blind Pig takes that 1920s speakeasy feel and tosses in more flat screens than those that shine on the Vegas strip. Chow down on the football food of the gods with their impressive wing menu, where everything is delicious. Be sure to get there early so you’ll have a place to stand!

For the Best, Cheapest Drinks
Professor Thom’s
219 2nd Ave. (betw. 13th & 14th Sts.),
professorthoms.com.
The establishment is named after Professor Jerry Thomas, the first American bartender. While this is another New England bar nestled in a sea of blue, the watering hole boasts a large selection of draft beers, cheap pitchers, even cheaper shots, 17 LCD flat screens and legendary nachos to boot. The tailgate party starts at 3 p.m. with a two-hour open bar and free party favors. After the game, enjoy getting home when they start their famous reverse happy hour, which goes from 10 p.m. until closing.

For the Best Eats
Wildwood BBQ
225 Park Ave. S. (betw. 18th & 19th Sts.), wildwoodbbq.com.
With lots of BBQ options and a huge bar, snack on some delicious ribs or pulled pork sandwiches as you watch the game. Wildwood also has a good selection of beers on draft—if you’re lucky and guess the winning team, you’ll get a chance to win a free keg!

If the Viewing Experience Matters to You
The Porterhouse at Fraunces Tavern
Fraunces Tavern, 54 Pearl St. (at Broad St.), frauncestavern.com.
What better way to watch NY go head to head with the Pats than on an 80-inch projection screen with surround sound? $50 gets you access to an open bar and an all-you-can-eat buffet filled with all your football essential food groups: wings, nachos, sliders, potato skins and more.

If You Are Going for the Party
Wicked Willy’s
149 Bleecker St. (at Thompson St.), wickedwillys.com.
For $45, drink as much domestic beer and scarf as many wings down as you can possibly handle here. If the 15-foot theater screen and 10 big-screen plasma TVs aren’t enough, there is always the chance for your own piece of glory with their plethora of beer pong tables and cheap pitchers.

By Andrew Rice

The controversial plan to convert the St. Vincent’s campus in Greenwich Village from a vacant hospital building and lot to a luxury condominium with a school, medical center and public park space moved one step closer this week. On Monday, Jan. 23, 13 members of the City Planning Commission (CPC) unanimously approved the project, which requires rezoning the building on 7th Avenue between 11th and 12th streets that once housed the Catholic hospital.

“I wish that there was a replacement hospital for St. Vincent’s,” said Maria Del Toro, a member of the CPC, “but unfortunately that isn’t possible right now. My vote is yes.”

Rudin Management Company, a real estate developer, purchased the property this past October to the tune of $260 million after St. Vincent’s Hospital folded nearly $1 billion in debt. With Monday’s decision, Rudin was granted permission to rezone the St. Vincent’s building from a hospital to a residential development; the building is slated for 450 condo units and some commercial space. However, the City Council must still sign off on the proposal.

Before its closure, St. Vincent’s was the third oldest hospital in the city, having been founded in 1849. Some critics of the Rudin Management plan say the real estate company is benefiting from the bulk and density of the former hospital building, which was originally intended to serve the public and not become a residential complex. Andrew Berman, the executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, has said this project could create a precedent where residential developers buy out defunct public buildings in order to capitalize on their size.

“The village and the surrounding neighborhoods have tons of these community facilities which were given special consideration with zoning, and now these properties are given to private developers who want, and are getting, the same thing. The ramifications are frightening,” said Berman.

Aside from the former hospital building, Rudin Management has also redesigned and is currently selling 44 units at a separate 14-story building nearby at 130 W. 12th St., where the two units currently available are selling for $5.7 and $6.3 million. The developer also plans to create a new school in the area for residents as well as an AIDS memorial public park on a triangular plot of land near the 7th Avenue building, a nod to St. Vincent’s history as one of the oldest HIV/AIDS clinics in the country.

To help make the change palatable to residents of the Village, who have been without a full-service hospital since April 2010, Rudin Management has pledged $10 million to create a comprehensive care center. The center will include a 24-hour emergency department and 24-hour ambulance services and will be run by the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System.

Community members against the plan, however, point out that the center will contain only two inpatient beds—a far cry from the former health care facility’s 758 beds.

Protestors from Hands Off St. Vincent’s, a group lobbying for the creation of a new hospital in the Village, distributed flyers showing the huge inequality of hospital beds in Manhattan neighborhoods: 4,064 beds on the Upper East Side, 2,306 on the Upper West Side and 3,101 on the Lower East Side.

Opponents say the fight isn’t over yet, as Rudin Management still needs final approval from the City Council, which must vote on the proposal within 60 days of the CPC vote.