No Plumm Deal To the Editor: I do not know where John Jeannopoulos got the idea that Sugar and Plumm was “granted a sidewalk café permit prior to opening” (Letter, Sept. 27). As a member of the Business and Consumer Issues Committee of Community Board 7, I can assure him no such thing occurred. The 
LESSONS IN NEGATIVITY By Jeanne Martinet Let’s face it. When someone is serving up exceptionally juicy gossip—whether it’s hitherto-uncovered dirt on a person who has been mean to you, an unsavory secret about an unscrupulous business competitor or a scandal about a celebrity—joining in can be a delicious temptation. But the urge to disparage can 
Violence prevention groups should address the link between alcohol and domestic violence This column is in part prompted by Yom Kippur and readers who thoughtfully responded to the unexpected death of my dear unofficial goddaughter, Janie Villiers. It’s also about the often-ignored link between alcohol and violent and other aberrant behaviors. In much the same
NEVER LET ANYTHING SEPARATE YOU FROM THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE Or, as Abraham understood God to have told him, “Heyay beracha,” which means “be a blessing”—that is why we are here. Timeless counsel for all people from Rabbi Harvey Tattelbaum’s “A Thought for the New Year” homily published in this newspaper. And no doubt, his 
‘STUDENTS FIRST’ NOTHING MORE THAN A RED HERRING By Helen Rosenthal I’m trying to wrap my head around Students First, the latest phenom in education reform. Reading through their website, I can’t help but see code words. Their mission statement says, “Real change … puts students’ needs before those of special interests or wasteful bureaucracies.” 
Life in a Box To the Editor: The city’s recent plan that was noted in your paper (“Living Large?” Aug. 9) to make tiny 275-square-foot apartments for singles seems outrageous. Why not go even further and make street apartments for the homeless? These could consist of large refrigerator or sofa boxes with a battery-operated hot 
When proximity breeds contempt Readers may remember how often I have expounded on the social benefits of living in this crowded, vibrant, melting (and mingling) pot of a city—where the possibility of conversations with strangers is always right at the tip of your ears, and even if you are too shy to talk to strangers, 
