Chris Kui helped bring emergency funds and hope to downtown after Hurricane Sandy struck

By Emily Johnson

On the third day after Hurricane Sandy, the staff of Asian Americans for Equality managed to gather themselves and return to their Division Street office—but like the rest of the Lower East Side, it was dark. Without electricity, they couldn’t even open the gate.

For executive director Chris Kui, it was a moment of truth. People in the neighborhood badly needed the sort of emergency relief his community development nonprofit was equipped to provide.

“We knew we had to pull together because we had to launch this loan fund,” he said last week at the office, which was once again bustling and brightly lit. “Could we find a reporter? We couldn’t even open our door. But we had one generator that we had for special events like street festivals, so we were able to use that generator to open up the gate, have a press conference, plug in a computer.”
Emergency loan funds became a standard first response for AAFE after last year’s Hurricane Irene. Kui oversaw two separate funds: one for homeowners and one for small businesses. It was a priority, he said, because for many business owners, waiting weeks or months for assessments and federal disaster assistance could mean they never reopen.

“They are tremendously affected by loss of sales. Restaurants, for example, they lost their inventory. Fish, poultry, they had to get rid of all of it,” he said. “It’s just tragic. Wholesale businesses and warehouses on the waterfront flooded. That $30,000 makes a big difference for desperate people.”

In the following days and weeks, AAFE disbursed 100 loans and organized a grassroots relief effort to deliver food and basic necessities to many of downtown Manhattan’s most vulnerable people—particularly recent immigrants with nowhere to go and seniors stuck in top-floor apartments in the Knickerbocker Village housing complex, where residents remained without power long after it was restored to the rest of downtown.

The organization also coordinated with city government to provide translation services for the large population of non-English speakers in Chinatown, Two Bridges and the Lower East Side. On-the-ground communication was crucial in assessing and prioritizing needs in the aftermath of the storm, and it helped many people navigate a complex system in which they might otherwise have been reluctant to place their trust.

“The community was so disoriented,” Kui said. “They needed timely and accurate info for how to register with FEMA. We tried to simplify the process.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), who nominated both Kui and David Garza of Henry Street Settlement for the OTTY awards, praised the men for stepping up day and night to provide what he called “life-saving help.”

“Those were very chaotic days and weeks after the storm,” Silver said. “Communication was difficult throughout the relief effort, and Chris was like a lifeline thousands of people relied on for information.”

The speaker also praised Kui’s “tireless” grassroots efforts to mobilize people to go door-to-door and make sure residents had blankets, food and water.

Kui, who lives in Flushing, did not suffer any flood damage but was himself without power for 10 days.

“Compared to other people, my personal suffering was nothing,” he said. “I feel attached to helping these folks. And I give credit to our staff. They really worked 24/7. Especially during the first three weeks, people were coming in on weekends to process loans.”

Looking ahead, Kui said, AAFE is already transitioning to more long-term recovery efforts.
“We’re looking at covering overhead costs for sanitation and cleanup, because those things cost money, and once people are stabilized they can go back to their jobs,” he said. “We’re here together to bring the community back.”

In August 2011 Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast hard. Damage estimates range from $7 to $13 billion according to several experts and the most recent death toll reported that 45 people were lost to the storm. In an effort to aid in the healing process City Winery has teamed up with The Healing Time Foundation, an organization that aims to assist American cities that have been damaged by natural disaster through art and music. “Music has always had tremendous power to heal people. We all need healing time,” says Josh Charles, Artistic Director of The Healing Time Foundation.

On Tuesday, November 15 City Winery will play host to a benefit concert and auction to raise money to help those affected by Irene. Headlining the event is blues singer Gina Sicilia.  Sicilia was awarded “Best New Artist Debut” at the Blues Music Awards for her first album that was released in 2007.  “Sicilia delivers a vocal and lyrical performance that rates alongside the titans of early-1960s soul,” said one review on About.com.  Other performing artists include Sinem Saniye, Clarence Bucaro, and Josh Charles.

The event will also include a silent auction featuring autographed items from the NY Giants, The New York Mets, Gibson Guitars, Casio Priva Keyboards and Maggie Norris Couture. The City Winery is located at 155 Varick St.  Doors open at 6 p.m. and the benefit begins at 8 p.m.

The owners of Walker’s, Tribeca’s favorite neighborhood eatery at the corner of North Moore and Varick streets, are rolling out an Italian alternative to their American fare next door at the new pizzeria Girello (“Walker” in Italian, posing a potential confusion for the multilingual).

“This is a real departure for us,” said Gerard Walker, co-owner of the eponymous restaurant. “We’ve been the neighborhood regular for the last 30 years, so we decided it was time to become the neighborhood Neapolitan thin-crust pizza joint as well. We love the idea of evoking the same warmth with varying cuisines—that’s why we created Girello.”

Whereas Walker’s has all of the ambiance of a nostalgic American saloon, Girello has been decorated with a decidedly European feel—it looks like a simple, clean trattoria in a fading southern Italian town. “We had the option of expanding Walker’s into the space,” co-owner Scott Perez said, “but we thought it’d be fun to create the same sort of friendly environment using superior products, just different flavors.”

Walker and his partners, Perez and Martin Sheridan, first opened Walker’s three decades ago and have enjoyed steady, prosperous business there ever since. The secret to their success? “Err on the side of the customer,” Walker confided. “New York restaurant customers are the best in the world. If you treat them well and serve them quality food, they’ll return. Never ever take them for granted.”

Walker says it’s the customers who keep him in the business. “I have the opportunity every single day to make somebody’s night special. A customer I haven’t seen in a while will come in, and I’ll say, ‘Where ya been?’ And he’ll look at me like he can’t believe anybody would remember him. You make someone’s day like that. How many people get to show up to work and do that?”

Perez is quick to add that it’s not just the customers that keep Walker’s (and soon Girello) in business, it’s also the staff. “There’s such a joy and an instant gratification in working with people who understand how to treat customers well,” he said.  When the restaurant was the only spot in the neighborhood that remained open during Hurricane Irene, both men agreed it was the combined goodwill of the staff and customers that made the experience such an enriching one.

Girello may have missed the hurricane, but the new restaurant has not been without its own complications. The toughest aspect of opening the new joint? “Perfecting the dough,” Walker said. “For water, yeast and flour, there’s a lot that can go wrong before you get it right. We actually had emails from chefs all over the city writing in about ‘dough behaviors.’ Luckily, we mastered it. We mastered the dough.”

And dough there is in abundance. With nearly 30 toppings to choose from and the choice of either a margherita or white base, Girello is the controlling pizza-topper’s dream. When pressed for a favorite combination of flavors, both Perez and Walker are without answers. “Nah,” Perez said. “It’s all good. It all comes from the same dough, right?”

Also on offer are a handful of Italian and Italian-American sandwiches (including the New Orleans-style muffuletta), salads and appetizers; look out especially for the pancetta wrapped shrimp and the oven roasted P.E.I. mussels. And in true Walker’s style, Girello offers plenty of alcohol to wash down a meal—a selection of Italian wines and a more international choice of beer, including Peroni and Heineken, along with specialty brews like Victory Hop Devil IPA and Ommegang Witte.

“It’s all just been a lot of fun,” Walker said with a glow. “Opening Girello now has reminded me of what it felt like to open Walker’s all those years ago—makes me feel like a young man again. Maybe that’s what we mean when we say Walker’s is the sort of place that makes the old feel young and the young feel like they’ve been there forever. Judging by the way I feel, Girello is following that tradition.”

Girello, 16 N. Moore St. (betw. N. Moore & Varick Sts.), 212-941-0109; 11 a.m.–11 p.m.

Aixa Torres, Alfred E. Smith Houses Tenant Association president, is a good person to have around in an emergency situation. In the days of preparation for Hurricane Irene, Torres successfully coordinated the evacuation of 90 percent of the Smith residents. The housing complex, located on the Lower East Side, boasts a population of roughly 4,300 people.

Torres was honored last week by State Sen. Daniel Squadron, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Council members Margaret Chin and Rosie Mendez and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer for what is estimated to have been the most successful evacuation in New York City during the storm. Working with Smith Houses’ staff, the tenant association was able to recruit a number of volunteers and translators and helped coordinate transportation to evacuation centers with the New York City Housing Authority, elected officials and other sister agencies.

DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN: OUTDOOR PHOTO PROJECT

Photographs of Manhattan snapped by local kids and submitted to the 91111 Moving Forward project are on display at various locations in Downtown Manhattan. The children were asked to capture the forward progression of New York City after 9/11 and to celebrate the diversity of the city. For a list of locations and to learn more about the project, visit www.91111movingforward.com.

Children are invited to vote for their favorite photos, and the winner will be announced Friday, Sept. 16. They can vote at www.notestrokes.com.

LOWER MANHATTAN: CORTLANDT STREET SOUTHBOUND R SIDE REOPENS

Workers, tourists and residents alike traveling to Lower Manhattan from uptown will be happy to know that as of Tuesday, Sept. 6, the southbound side of the R line at the Cortlandt Street station has resumed service. The station was closed in 2001 after sustaining significant damage during 9/11 and was reopened in 2002. It was closed again in 2005 for construction, and the northbound side was back up in 2009. MTA chairman and CEO Jay H. Wilder, Assembly Speaker Silver, Congressman Nadler, State Sen. Squadron, Manhattan Borough President Stringer and Council Member Chin were on hand at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday.

bowery: DELANCEY STREET GETS COUNTDOWN CLOCKS

After both State Sen. Squadron and Council Member Chin wrote an official letter to the Department of Transportation (DOT) about the dangers of sections of Delancey Street in August, citing numerous accidents that have taken place on the thoroughfare, the agency has responded by installing pedestrian countdown clocks along the street last week.

In a statement, Squadron noted, “DOT heeded our call to install countdown clocks and begin the process of making Delancey Street safer for everyone. We appreciate the quick response and know there is still more to do.”

With most MTA service up and running by the morning of Monday, Aug. 29, Downtown Manhattan was more or less back to normal—with a few exceptions. Leaf debris (right) could still be found on the steps of the Vietnam Veterans Plaza on Water Street and a young lady hailing a cab on Hanover Square had to sidestep more than a few puddles left over from the storm.

Photo Credits: Leaf Debris and Woman hailing cab, George Denison, Balthazar Restaurant, Anna Margaret Hollyman

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For those who are curious as to how we Gulf Coasters survive run-of-the-mill hurricanes, the answer is booze. Seriously, drink up. You’re not going anywhere, so you might as well pour yourself a stiff one after you’ve tossed your patio furniture into the swimming pool. Now, some people like to take the time to obsessively catalog their Precious Moments collection for insurance purposes, but that’s just stuff. This is the time to really reconnect with your friends and loved ones, or whoever happens to be trapped in your apartment with you. Go light on the mixers in case the water mains are damaged; you’ll need all the tonic and seltzer you have on hand in that case. You may also want to hash some things out that have been bothering you, while everyone is trapped and defenseless. This is optional, but if we’ve learned anything from Special Episodes of TV shows that involve disasters, it’s that any interpersonal problem will be solved by the time the storm ends.

In addition to drinking, you should also keep your windows closed but your blinds open. Some people may claim that this increases your risk of being injured by flying glass, but isn’t that a small price to pay for the chance to witness the fury of Mother Nature without the earnest voiceover of a television meteorologist? Watch the wind lash the rain! Watch the idiots trying to stay dry while struggling to cross the street! And maybe even watch a cow fly past, à la Twister! Who can say! Hurricanes are exciting.

Don’t light candles! They may look romantic and/or add a spooky flavor to the proceedings, but with your windows closed and the amount of booze you’ve probably had, you’re gonna get insanely overheated. Plus, that will stink when you finally blow them out. Either sit in the dark (which adds an additional level of fun should you use the chance to work out your differences with friends or loved ones) or use a flashlight. Or, you know, turn your damn lights on, since we hardly ever lose power because of storms in NYC.

In fact, nevermind. Just drink until the rain stops. And for Chrissakes, shut up about “Eileen.” You’re just adding fuel to the panting hordes of newscasters desperate for some severe weather to add some fun back into the dreary national news.