By Beth Mellow

In a crowded upstairs room at Council House on West 72nd Street last Thursday evening, six Democratic candidates, and one Green party candidate for City Council, debated and discussed hotbed issues ranging from affordable housing to city taxes. The candidates are vying for an opportunity to secure the District 6 City Council seat vacated by Gale Brewer when she announced that she would run for Manhattan Borough President earlier this year. The Democratic primary for City Council will take place in September.
Candidates participating in last week’s meeting included (in alphabetical order) Ken Biberiaj, Debra Cooper, Noah Gotbaum, Marc Landis, Helen Rosenthal, Tom Siracuse, who is a Green Party member, and Mel Wymore. Although there were many nuanced differences, and a few larger divides, in the way candidates viewed topics, a belief that the community needed to secure more control over its destiny emerged as the central thesis of the evening. Time and time again, in regards to various municipal issues including education and housing, the candidates declared that the state government, or mayoral appointees, hold too much of the power in policy making.

In addition, each of the candidates also debated issues not only relevant to the Upper West Side community, but also the city at large, including Hurricane Sandy recovery. As one candidate, Debra Cooper, stated, “The Upper West Side is a specific geographic space but we have always been the leader on progressive issues affecting the rest of the city, state, and country.”

Last week’s event was hosted by the Social Action Committee of the National Council of Jewish Women, New York, West Side Federation of Neighborhood & Block Associations, and the Committee for Environmentally Sound Development. Here is a summary of how candidates weighed in on various topics.

Housing
While all seven candidates expressed concerned over rising rents on the Upper West Side and throughout New York City, each came to the topic with varying opinions on how to cap increasing housing costs. Some of the candidates mentioned problems surrounding the Urstadt law, which enables state government, instead of New York City, to set parameters for rent regulation, while others talked about the need to bring Mitchell-Lama style housing back for the middle class. See their opinions below:

Tom Siracuse: “I live in a rent control apartment, and if it weren’t for rent control, I wouldn’t be here today. Rent regulated apartments form the bedrock of working class and middle class people living in the city.”

Debra Cooper: “We need to repeal the Urstadt law. We can’t accomplish this without getting the Republicans out of control of the state senate. That will require some political organizing.”

Helen Rosenthal: “We have to work harder to connect with the community [on housing issues]. I worked with residents of Trinity House (a Mitchell-Lama building located on West 92nd street) to fend off a purchaser. They are now hoping to have a tenant buyout.”

Ken Biberiaj: “We have to support the young families that are living here and we have to hold HPD accountable to make sure that rent stabilized units are not deregulated.”

Mel Wymore: “Housing is a broken system in New York City because there are so many different programs between the city and the state working at odds with each other.”

Education
From overcrowded classrooms to free tuition at CUNY, all the candidates felt passionately about the state of education on the Upper West Side and throughout the city. Many of the candidates had personal experience with the New York City public school system, including Siracuse, who spent 29 years as a high school teacher; Landis, who helped establish Frank McCourt High School; and Gotbaum, who has been part of school boards and parent organizations over the past several years. Read what some of the candidates had to say about the current school system and how to improve it.

Marc Landis: “We need to give families options that don’t cost $40,000 a year.” He also stated, “I want to make sure the city council has more of a say on educational policies. It shouldn’t be only up to mayoral appointees.”

Noah Gotbaum: “I have fought against charter schools, high stakes testing, and demonizing teachers. The DOE right now doesn’t listen to parents and communities and are out to privatize our schools.”

Tom Siracuse: “We must restore free tuition at CUNY for students who graduate from New York City public schools.”

Debra Cooper: “We need to improve access to early childhood education. When you prepare kids as preschoolers, they do better once they get to grade school.” She added, “We need to work on classroom overcrowding too. The current elementary school bulge, will become a middle school bulge, which will in turn become a high school bulge.”

Ken Biberiaj: He believes it’s important to provide children with access to their local schools rather than sending them to other neighborhoods. “We’re zoned for P.S. 87 and we only have a four percent chance of getting our child into preschool there. When a school is right there, it doesn’t make sense that they won’t enroll your child.”

Mel Wymore: “We need to make sure that our resources are shared more effectively. There are some PTAs with million dollar budgets, while others have only $20,000.”

City Council and the Mayor’s Office
All seven candidates agreed that there was a need for reform, or at least some improvement, in the functioning of City Hall and City Council. In fact, certain candidates believed that Speaker Christine Quinn’s relationship with Mayor Bloomberg had become too friendly, and as a result, is affecting proceedings at City Council. Additionally, others felt that Quinn’s leadership is skewed, claiming that she favors districts where council members are most helpful in pushing forth her agenda.

Noah Gotbaum: “City Council has become a lap dog. Christine Quinn and Bloomberg have gone together like this (shows crossed fingers to the audience). We need a strong City Council.”

Ken Biberiaj: “While I don’t agree with Bloomberg on everything that he has done, I believe that we have made progress on many fronts over the past few years.”

Marc Landis: “We need to break ties that bind in the council. I will only support a next speaker who will work on creating those reforms.”

Debra Cooper: She believes that Quinn favors some council members, and by extension, their communities, based on their loyalty to her. Cooper explained, “You shouldn’t have the power to punish those who do not support you.”

Tom Siracuse: “We need a city council that is not dominated by one party.”

City Taxation
The candidates also weighed in on city income tax. All believed that there were issues with the current system, with many citing the fact that the current tax laws impose the same percentage on all residents who earn more than $60,000 annually.
Ken Biberiaj: “We don’t have control of our destiny. We have a 70 billion dollar budget in New York City, but so much, including taxation, lies beyond our control.”

Marc Landis: “As a member of the Democratic party, I have been a proponent of the progressive tax through and through.”

Noah Gotbaum: “It was our own Democratic party that took a pass on the millionaire’s tax.”

Recovery from Super Storm Sandy
Although District 6 was minimally affected by the hurricane, recovery and future preparation was still important to many of the candidates.

Mel Wymore: “We need to re-design our drainage system because currently our drainage system and sewage system are connected [which creates a whole host of problems during and after a major storm].”

Helen Rosenthal: “We need to demand from the government that they issue bonds [to help with the recovery].”

Noah Gotbaum: “There was a shortsightedness in excluding the community from preparation. We had 20,000 New York Cares volunteers interested in helping out, but no way to get involved.”

WE MUST PASS THE PRESIDENT’S BALANCED APPROACH TO OUR LOOMING CRISIS

By Ken Biberaj

I recently attended a briefing at the White House with business leaders from around the country. The message was clear: Going off the fiscal cliff would be devastating to every sector of our economy. The president understands this and is willing to take hard steps to solve it, but the House Republicans have not acted in kind. We need their action.

The automatic cuts associated with going off the cliff would cause a loss of jobs, cuts to essential social serves and higher taxes for all Americans, likely resulting in a double-dip recession at a time when we are making steady economic progress.

Our country cannot afford this option, and there is no excuse why our leaders in Washington cannot come to an agreement. Those stubbornly refusing to act are more interested in self-preservation. The only option is a deal that addresses both spending and revenue. The president’s balanced approach to the situation would restore confidence in our political system and markets by providing greater certainty for businesses, and lowering the debt burden we pass on to our children.

If House Republicans do not act, the mandatory reductions will take a sledgehammer to Social Security, Medicare and other programs that are essential to our seniors. The average middle-class family will see an immediate increase of $2,200 in taxes. This is not the way to cut the deficit. The president is willing to compromise and address cuts in a way that protects seniors and keeps the economy moving forward. A version of the Bush tax cuts for middle class Americans has already passed the Senate, and the president is prepared to sign it. Now the House Republicans need to vote for it.

The stakes are especially high for New Yorkers.

State Controller Tom DiNapoli recently projected that working New Yorkers would see a $43 billion increase in taxes and 3.4 million people would also be forced to pay the federal alternative minimum tax. All in all, the state would witness an automatic drop of $600 million in federal funds—devastating local budgets. This, coupled with the projected costs associated with the recovery from Hurricane Sandy, would put our most vulnerable communities, small businesses and seniors at risk. New York City is surviving the recession, but not on even footing: Issues of inequality have been exacerbated. Not responding to the fiscal cliff would hurt those already suffering the most.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that consumer confidence would nosedive if a deal is not made; resulting is nearly $200 billion less in spending next year. The taxes in our city are already high. Adding a tax increase on middle-class New Yorkers coupled with a double dip in the recession would cripple New York businesses, especially those that benefit from the over 50 million visitors who come through our city each year, a major part of the New York economy. Places like the Russian Tea Room, which benefit from this tourism, would be hit even harder by reduced travel and spending in our city.

As a businessman, I believe the White House approach is the only real option available. Yet as we get closer to the cliff, it is becoming clear that the Republicans are not willing to make the obvious choices that are needed to keep our economy moving forward. I urge all New Yorkers to look past the distractions and recognize that going over the fiscal cliff is not an option. Act now and call our elected officials in Washington to push them to support a balanced approach. In 2013, we need our leaders to turn their attention to other important issues that affect New York’s economy: immigration reform, innovation and infrastructure, to name a few.

Running a business in New York City is very challenging, and as the Russian Tea Room celebrates its 85th anniversary on West 57th Street, we hope that our leaders in Washington don’t make it even harder for us to survive the years to come.

Ken Biberaj is the VP of the Russian Tea Room and a Democratic candidate for City Council on the Upper West Side (www.ken2013.com). The views expressed here are those of the writer and not the Russian Tea Room.

While Brewer is widely rumored to be preparing for a run for borough president, four candidates are hoping to succeed her in representing the 6th District, which covers the Upper West Side from West 55th to 96th streets. All four candidates jumped into the race months ago, and now recent campaign filings give residents a sneak peek at who might be a serious contender come next September.

At this point, however, all four candidates are fairly close when it comes to the numbers. The front runner in total dollar amount filed is Helen Rosenthal, one-time chair of Community Board 7 and a former city employee in the Office of Management and Budget, who brought in $152,981 with 709 contributions.

“This early in the election, campaign filings matter primarily to the extent they reflect a campaign’s organizational strength and in-district support, and it allows us to focus more on talking to voters and building grassroots support,” Rosenthal said in an email. Her assessment could easily apply to the other three candidates in the race, who are also well-positioned financially.

Ken Biberaj, vice president of the Russian Tea Room, who made headlines for fully funding his campaign in only four months, registered a total of $131,020 from 982 contributions. “It is very exciting to be done fundraising and now have the ability to focus on having a conversation with Upper West Siders and the issues that matter most to our community,” Biberaj said in an email.

Both Marc Landis, an attorney, who reported $111,143 from 446 contributions, and Mel Wymore, a former community board chair, who reported $111,863 from 303 contributions, echoed that sentiment. “I look forward to focusing on the critical issues of the campaign: improving our education system, expanding our affordable housing options, improving our quality of live and reforming how our government works,” said Landis in an email.

“Everyone involved in the race now either has made or will shortly make the full budget,” said Jordan Jacobs, Wymore’s campaign manager. “Who raised more actually has no meaning to the race.”

Insiders agree that at this point in the race, having the least—or the most—money in a campaign account is no indication of where a candidate will fall on the ballot.

“Because of New York City’s extraordinarily generous and almost universally participated in campaign finance program, everybody will have the same amount of money, so the money has less meaning,” said political consultant Hank Sheinkopf.

Sheinkopf’s consulting firm has been hired by Biberaj’s campaign, but he spoke in general about City Council elections and not as a representative for the campaign.

The matching program gives candidates $6 for every $1 raised from New York City residents, for up to $175 per person. The program was intended to level the playing field and give candidates without access to big money a chance to compete, although the West Side candidates are all neck and neck at this point.

Sheinkopf said that it’s way too early to make predictions on front runners based solely on fundraising totals.

“Unlike most people in my business, I got rid of my crystal ball a long time ago; it didn’t fit in my wallet,” Sheinkopf said. “Early money helps define the race for people in the media business and for local community activists. But the general public, they don’t care.”

Good Night's Sleep: A donation of mattresses and box springs from Long's Bedding & Interiors to Nazareth Housing Furniture Donation Service are loaded for delivery on July 12. On hand for the donation were: Mildred Perez, coordinator for client services, prevention and outreach; James Saracini, assistant for development and mission; Steven M. Edwards, member of the Nazareth Housing Board of Directors; and Terri and Bob Long, owners of Long's. The Nazareth Housing Furniture Donation Service provides furniture to low-income families and seniors across New York City at no cost to the recipient or donor.

Biberaj Hits Fundraising Limit in Four Months
Upper West Side City Council candidate Ken Biberaj has joined the ranks of the few in his campaign efforts. He is among a small handful of candidates in races around the city to have reached the fundraising limit with over a year to go before the fall 2013 elections. According to his campaign, Biberaj will report a total haul of $130,000 for the current filing period from over 850 donors; average contribution size, they said, is $150. This total qualifies the campaign for the full matching funds allowed for both the primary and general elections.

Biberaj said that this doesn’t change his campaign strategy, but it certainly frees him up to focus on things other than fundraising.
“Our plan all along has been to go door to door, person to person, to listen to the concerns of my neighbors and talk about how we can make the Upper West Side an even better place to live,” he said in an email. “The fact that we reached this point so quickly shows that people are excited about our message and excited about our plan to help the Upper West Side. This is a grassroots campaign and we worked very hard over the last four months to meet as many people as possible and raise the funds needed for this campaign.”

Biberaj, who works in real estate and is an executive at the Russian Tea Room, credits the campaign’s focus on small events in living rooms and getting many low-dollar contributions.

Free Summer Tennis Program for Kids
This summer until Aug. 24, accompany your child (ages 5-18) to the New York Junior Tennis League at the Brandeis High School Campus at 145 W. 84th St. There you can register your child for the free tennis program that runs every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 1-4 p.m. Loaner tennis rackets and balls are provided. The program is funded by the City Council.

Manhattan Ivory Ring Busted
Two dealers in the sale of illegal elephant ivory pled guilty on Tuesday to felony charges of illegal commercialization of wildlife, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance announced. Mukesh Gupta, 67, and Johnson Jung-Chien Lu, 56, entered guilty pleas for themselves as well as for their companies—Raja Jewels Inc. and New York Jewelry Mart Corp., respectively—for violations of the Environmental Conservation Law. Under the law, it is illegal to sell products made of material from endangered or threatened wildlife species without a permit from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Today, all classifications of elephants are listed as endangered or threatened animals under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

“Today’s cases are a small but important step in protecting the endangered and threatened elephant species,” Vance said in a statement. “This investigation is part of an ongoing and focused effort by my office to combat environmental crime and clamp down on the illegal ivory underground marketplace, which fuels the international poaching crisis.” Neither Gupta nor Lu possessed the proper permits required to legally sell ivory. The charges come after ivory valued at more than $2 million in total was seized from the two businesses during an investigation by the Major Economic Crimes Bureau, with aid from the D.A.’s Office, the DEC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Delivery Bike Crackdown
Cyclists flouting the law found themselves the targets of several attacks from the city last week. On Thursday, City & State reported that Upper East Side Council Member Dan Garodnick and Queens Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer called for legislation to double traffic violation fines for those riding electronic-assisted bicycles, which are illegal in the city. Even though the City Council overrode a mayoral veto to ban electronic bikes in 2004, both Garodnick and Van Bramer said at a press conference in Queens that motorists are still dangerously riding electronic bikes on the sidewalk, against traffic and through red lights. Noting that he had seen an electronic-assisted bike just minutes before the press conference, Van Bramer said there was an “epidemic of reckless driving” in his district and across the city. By doubling the fines, Garodnick said the city could step up enforcement.

“Navigating our city streets is dangerous and difficult enough without the reckless actions of many cyclists who are riding illegal electric bikes today,” Garodnick said. “We need to empower our law enforcement officials to help crack down on this illegal activity.”
The legislation, introduced by Garodnick and co-sponsored by Van Bramer and seven other council members in June of last year, is awaiting a hearing by the Council’s transportation committee this fall. In February, Council Member Jessica Lappin introduced a separate bill to double the $500 fine for selling or operating an electronic-assisted bicycle.

The next day, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan held a press conference to announce the DOT’s new education and enforcement program for delivery cyclists. The commissioner was joined by Council Members Gale Brewer, Lappin, Garodnick and Council Transportation Committee Chairman James Vacca, as well as some restaurant owners, to introduce the efforts and explain the program that will target first the Upper West and then the Upper East Side.

A special six-person unit of the DOT will go door to door to businesses and explain to employers the legal requirements and safety information for their delivery cyclists. After a six-month period, businesses who violate the laws will receive fines ranging from $100 to $300.

The program comes after the Upper East Side community has called repeatedly for holding businesses accountable for delivery cyclists’ reckless behavior.

“New Yorkers believe they have a constitutional right to great food delivered to their door while it’s still hot—and they’re right,” said Garodnick. “That cannot mean that we will compromise the safety of our streets in the process.”

The education portion of the program will give businesses brochures on safety and the law as well as ID cards their cyclists can fill out and keep on them. Employers will be required to provide upper body apparel with the name of their business clearly identified as well as safety equipment like lights, reflective gear and helmets.

“We need to put the brakes on dangerous delivery bicycles,” said Lappin. “Education and enforcement will make us all safer on our streets.”

SHAKESPEARE’S LADIES
Just about all of Shakespeare’s characters are iconic symbols of the human condition,
and the same can be said of the heroines within his tales. The experimental Shakespeare ensemble Dark Lady Players will be performing Shakespeare’s Annunciation parodies Sunday, March 25, at 5 p.m. at West-Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W. 86th St. The event is free to attend and will feature actors portraying Juliet, Desdemona, Olivia and Ophelia in part-comic religious allegories for the Virgin Mary.
WILD BIRDS NEED CASH
The Wild Bird Fund’s wildlife rehabilitation and education facility, located on the Upper West Side, will be NYC’s first wildlife rehabilitation and education center. To raise money  for equipment and medical supplies, the fund will host “Wild Bird Fund Takes Flight,” Tuesday April 3, 6:30–9 p.m., at “Birdie” Vanderbilt’s mansion at 60 E. 93rd St. The group is hosting a multitude of events that evening, including a speech from acclaimed author Jonathan Franzen.

Other events will include a self-guided tour of the historic Vanderbilt residence and the Carlton Hobbs antiques gallery, a video tour of the new center, a performance by Dzul Dance, jazz renditions by Jennifer Dudley of the song “It’s for the Birds,” a showing of baby birds, squirrels, owls and hawks, a silent auction and hors d’oeuvres and wine. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased by contacting Beverly Mastropolo at 917-848-0044 or online at http://bit.ly/GCXNPr.

FAMED DEBATERS ON GOD, GAYS AND GUNS
On Thursday, March 29, Dr. Cornel West and the Rev. Osagyefo Sekou will host a discussion about Sekou’s new book, Gods, Gays, and Guns: Essays on
Religion and the Future of Democracy, at West-Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W. 86th St. West is one of the nation’s most prolific authors and a known critical activist who participated at Occupy Wall Street last year. Sekou is considered one of the most influential religious leaders of the current generation. His work as an on-the-ground activist has landed him in post-Katrina New Orleans and the World Culture Center in Berlin. There is no advance ticketing and doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call the Rev. Bob Brashear at 646-541-3329.

LOCAL COUNCIL CANDIDATE HIRES BIG GUN
Ken Biberaj, the latest candidate to declare for the soon-tobe-vacant Upper West Side City
Council seat, has hired veteran political consultant firm Sheinkopf Ltd. to work on his campaign. The hire signals a serious move from a largely unknown candidate; Hank Sheinkopf has worked on many high-profile political campaigns, like President Bill Clinton’s re-election and Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s last election.

“As an Upper West Sider myself, I’m thrilled to work with a candidate who has such a compelling vision for the neighborhood’s future,” said Sheinkopf in a statement.

“We’re working hard, speaking with voters and small business owners to convey my campaign’s message,” Biberaj said.

Biberaj previously told the West Side Spirit in an interview that one of his top priorities is to get out in the community and introduce himself. Biberaj, who serves as vice-president of the Russian Tea Room and works in commercial real estate, is up against three other candidates who have each served on Community Board 7 and
are arguably more familiar faces on the Upper West Side.

JAPANESE RHYTHM: Taiko drummers from Soh Daiko perform during Japan Fest at the American Museum of Natural History. Visit www. nypress.com for more photos of the group in action. Photo Credit: Andrew Schwartz

FREE TAX HELP ON THE UWS

Sitting down to go over the taxes is an event most would equate with torture. However, residents of the Upper West Side can rest easy with several free sessions that condense the processes behind filling out tax forms. The AARP will host a number of sessions at several libraries and community centers during tax season to educate the public about filing their taxes:

• The Bloomingdale Library, 150 W. 100th St., will host classes every Friday through April 13 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Call 212-222-8030 for more information.

• The Morningside Heights Library, 2900 Broadway, will host a session every Monday and Saturday through April 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Call 212-666- 5099 for more information.

• The Riverside Library, 127 Amsterdam Ave., will hold classes every Thursday through April 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 212-870-1810 for more information.

• The Project FIND Hamilton Senior Center, 141 W. 73rd St., will hold classes every Tuesday through April 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 212-787-7710 for more
information.

• The West Side Campaign Against Hunger, 263 W. 86th St., lower level will hold classes every Tuesday through April 17 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Call 212-362-3662 for more information.

• Community Tax Aid at Goddard Riverside Community Center at 647 Columbus Ave. near 92 Street will cater to single adults with income of up to $25,000 or families with income of up to $45,000. Bring last year’s tax forms and other relevant documents. Class will be held every Tuesday through April 10 from 6–8 p.m.

“It’s a prime time for people in our generation to say, ‘You know what, we’re starting nonprofits, we’re starting startup technology companies, we’re working at high levels of finance and law and business, but we’re not stepping forward and putting ourselves out there to give back to the community as elected officials,’” Biberaj said.

Biberaj has a diverse background that he thinks gives him an advantage. His parents emigrated from Albania to the Bronx in 1968. His father taught himself English and worked various jobs until earning a Ph.D. from Columbia and taking a position with the U.S. Information Agency in Washington, D.C. He became head of the Albanian service of a program called Voice of America, which broadcasts U.S. news into foreign countries.

“Once communism fell, it turned out that everybody was listening,” Biberaj said. “We grew up having this sense of public service, seeing what my father had done and the impact he had on other people’s lives.”

It inspired Biberaj to attend American University, where he served twice as student body president and worked for a political consulting company. After graduation, he went straight to Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, graduating in 2002, then went to work as the state research director for John Kerry’s presidential campaign in Florida. After Kerry lost, Biberaj said he realized he didn’t want to just cycle in and out of national campaigns and decided to get some business experience.

He moved to New York to work for his uncle’s commercial real estate firm, which had just purchased the Russian Tea Room out from under the U.S. Golf Association and re-opened it as the restaurant it had once been. Now, Biberaj serves as the vice-president of marketing at the West 57th Street restaurant while working with real estate clients.

“We buy and sell buildings and do different transactions,” Biberaj said of his day-to-day job. “We also do retail leasing, so I work with a lot of small local tenants. You’re constantly trying to deal with their issues as a small business—you deal with the city, you deal with watching how they have to go through the process.”

Biberaj went to law school at night and got his real estate law degree in 2008. He volunteers as a mentor for college students through a program called New York Needs You, serves on the restaurant committee of New York’s tourism company, NYC & Co., works with the Food Bank of New York and sits on the board of directors of a small community bank on Long Island.

“I’ve been able to step back after seven years of doing all these interesting things. My goal has always been to find a way back to public service. It’s all timing,” Biberaj said. “It’s a real open opportunity.”

Somehow during his time in New York, Biberaj found time to date and marry his wife. The pair met at an Albanian wedding, and their courtship was chronicled in the New York Times Vows column for their wedding in 2009. “My wife is super supportive,” he said.

Biberaj, who is running in the Democratic primary, said he’ll be spending a lot of time in the coming months talking to people in the community to develop his positions on issues that affect the neighborhood.

“My wife and I, we’re going to have kids in the community. We want to live here forever, so we want to make sure that in 10, 20 years, we can afford to live here, our kids can go to good schools here,” Biberaj said. “I’m young, but I’m energetic and I’m focused and I’m diligent. I’m going to really sit down and learn issues and get to the root of them and try to solve them.”

In a City Council race already getting crowded with familiar neighborhood faces, Ken Biberaj is hoping Upper West Siders are willing to get to know one more. The latest candidate to declare a run for the 6th District seat (Council Member Gale Brewer will be out on term limits), Biberaj is also the youngest, at 32, and the least well-known in the community, a fact he readily embraces.

“It’s a prime time for people in our generation to say, ‘You know what, we’re starting nonprofits, we’re starting startup technology companies, we’re working at high levels of finance and law and business, but we’re not stepping forward and putting ourselves out there to give back to the community as elected officials,’” Biberaj said.

Biberaj has a diverse background that he thinks gives him an advantage. His parents emigrated from Albania to the Bronx in 1968. His father taught himself English and worked various jobs until earning a Ph.D. from Columbia and taking a position with the U.S. Information Agency in Washington, D.C. He became head of the Albanian service of a program called Voice of America, which broadcasts U.S. news into foreign countries.

“Once communism fell, it turned out that everybody was listening,” Biberaj said. “We grew up having this sense of public service, seeing what my father had done and the impact he had on other people’s lives.”

It inspired Biberaj to attend American University, where he served twice as student body president and worked for a political consulting company. After graduation, he went straight to Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, graduating in 2002, then went to work as the state research director for John Kerry’s presidential campaign in Florida. After Kerry lost, Biberaj said he realized he didn’t want to just cycle in and out of national campaigns and decided to get some business experience.

He moved to New York to work for his uncle’s commercial real estate firm, which had just purchased the Russian Tea Room out from under the U.S. Golf Association and re-opened it as the restaurant it had once been. Now, Biberaj serves as the vice-president of marketing at the West 57th Street restaurant while working with real estate clients.

“We buy and sell buildings and do different transactions,” Biberaj said of his day-to-day job. “We also do retail leasing, so I work with a lot of small local tenants. You’re constantly trying to deal with their issues as a small business—you deal with the city, you deal with watching how they have to go through the process.”

Biberaj went to law school at night and got his real estate law degree in 2008. He volunteers as a mentor for college students through a program called New York Needs You, serves on the restaurant committee of New York’s tourism company, NYC & Co., works with the Food Bank of New York and sits on the board of directors of a small community bank on Long Island.

“I’ve been able to step back after seven years of doing all these interesting things. My goal has always been to find a way back to public service. It’s all timing,” Biberaj said. “It’s a real open opportunity.”

Somehow during his time in New York, Biberaj found time to date and marry his wife. The pair met at an Albanian wedding, and their courtship was chronicled in the New York Times Vows column for their wedding in 2009. “My wife is super supportive,” he said.

Biberaj, who is running in the Democratic primary, said he’ll be spending a lot of time in the coming months talking to people in the community to develop his positions on issues that affect the neighborhood.

“My wife and I, we’re going to have kids in the community. We want to live here forever, so we want to make sure that in 10, 20 years, we can afford to live here, our kids can go to good schools here,” Biberaj said. “I’m young, but I’m energetic and I’m focused and I’m diligent. I’m going to really sit down and learn issues and get to the root of them and try to solve them.”