T: is for Taking Care!

This has been verified by the FBI. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; your identity was just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado. This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm

And here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp

Troubled times unveil the infections underneath and that is a F.A.C.T

C: Is for Chronicle....The Times Square Chronicle

After much tribulation, I can finally announce that Times Square is getting it's first newspaper. It's called The Times Square Chronicle. We went on-line Monday. We still need some tweaking, but we made it by our deadline. You can see it at www.thetimessquarechronicle.com

This has been our blood sweat and tears since December. 385,000 pass through Times Square a day, 47 million a year and yet it has never had a paper. Our paper will be a combination between a penny saver and an entertainment information center. Our targeted area is from 40th-57th from 6th Ave to the Hudson River. We launch in print Sunday for a special addition to the Tony's and to the public June 8th. Look for us at the Taste of Times Square and at River to River that day. We will be more of a community based outlet, though we still will target the tourist, but the community is where our hearts lay.

If you are in the are I hope you will pick up your copy and see that is a much needed item and that is a F.A.C.T.

A: Is for Asclepius at LaMama

One of the staples of New York Theatre has been LaMama. I had a chance to see their latest production, Asclepius. Conceived, written, and directed by LaMama founder and legend Ellen Stewart with additional music by Michael Sirotta, Yukio Tsuji, and Heather Paauwe, this production shows why LaMama is a staple of the NY theatre scene. It is important to note, that they just lost their National Endowment to the Arts grant due to the F.A.C.T. that they could not say why they do what they do other than it is art and needs to be told. In Ms. Stewart's adaptation of this classic Greek tale, this rarely told story of the father of medicine is rife with incest, murder, betrayal, passion and unrequited love. The production features choreography by Federico Restrepo, puppets by Theodora Skipitares, light design by Federico Restrepo, scenic consultants Mark Tambella and Jun Maeda, and sound design by Tim Schellenbaum.

This presentation of Asclepius represents a continuation of La MaMa E.T.C. and The Great Jones Company's tradition of contemporary interpretations and adaptations of the classics. Containing an international flavor that is a trademark of Ellen Stewart's body of work at La MaMa, a multi-ethnic cast consisting of over a dozen artists from Colombia, Italy, Japan, Germany, China, Korea, Kosovo, Puerto Rico, Republic of Congo, Philippines, Taiwan, and the United States thrill. With a cast of 25 they are inconsistencies and some stand out above the others. Eugene the Poogene's dancing and acting are worth the production alone. As the smaller roles of the Black Crow and later as Hades, his every movement is a joy to watch. Benjamin Marcantoni's counter tenor is glorious though sometimes over used. Michael Lynch, Onni Johnson and Cary Gant are all stand outs. But it is Ellen Stewart's direction and production values that are the stand-outs. Go see this wonderfully conceived production. It plays until June 14th at The Annex Thursday - Sunday at 7:30pm. Tickets are $25 and this show is admirable and worthy of praise. We need to preserve the best of New York and that is a F.A.C.T.

F: Is for fun up high

There is nothing like location, location, location, with spectacular views of The Hudson and Empire state bldg. That's the new Highbar located at 251 West 48th just off of 8th Ave. There is an inside and outside layout perfect for fun, sun, moon and cave dwellers. The intimate setting with casual but elegant furnishings will have you feeling comfortable. This is the new one from Greg Brier of Aspen, D’Or, and Amalia. The food is, in a word backyard-grill with hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as crudité in the menu. The emphasis is here is on drinks such as the Wicket, a simple mix of gin and cucumber purée. This place won't break the bank, though the drinks are not cheep. Food runs from $4-$8 and frozen drinks $14 to regular drinks $16-$18. They do however take reservations with that obnoxious bottle minimum. A floor below the rooftop you'll find a UFO chair designed by Asobi, as well as a loft like room with floor-to-ceiling windows and banquettes and another full bar. With prices out of control and that rental in the Hampton's out of your price range, this just might be the next best thing and that is a summery f.A.C.T.

S: Is for catering with a social responsibility

Founders Michael Steifman and Kaegan Welch unveiled Stuart & Welch, a brand new, New York-based luxury events and catering company. Committed to locally sourced organic foods, social responsibilities and unparalleled service, Stuart and Welch is bringing a refreshing element to catering. The joint venture has a full service catering and event staff with the expertise and flair to satisfy every occasion, from small cocktail parties to large weddings.

The duo have amassed an impressive portfolio of satisfied clients from Manhattan to Paris, and their menus are always seasonal, featuring the finest organic produce from regional farms and New York City’s best purveyors. Both partners bring a combined working experience of over sixteen years in celebrated restaurants and respected catering kitchens that include Olivier Cheng catering & events, Macy’s Culinary Council and Asia de Cuba.

Social responsibility is an integral part of the Stuart & Welch business model. Whether it’s buying locally, organic and hormone-free produce, using biodegradable disposable goods, or helping feed the hungry with a generous food donation program, the company is wholly committed to bringing a new, responsible approach to catering. “Social responsibility to us means reducing waste by maximizing the use of our products” says Welch. “It’s time to give back New York and build an eco-friendly, philanthropic, profitable venture that everyone can benefit from,” the culinary duo affirms. To learn more about Stuart & Welch, please visit www.stuartandwelch.com

Throwing a party doesn't mean you can't do it in a healthy manner while protecting the planet.… and this is a proven F.A.C.T.

T: Is for Traffic Stopped

It's official, this past Sunday, the unthinkable happened: Broadway officially closed… to cars that is. As part of Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to reduce traffic in the city, two sections of Broadway, from 47th to 42nd and from 35th to 33rd Streets, were closed to all vehicular traffic. Set into motion as part of the Green Light for Midtown plan developed by the Bloomberg Administration. The goal is to reduce congestion by closing down sections where traffic meets tricky intersections. The hope is that by doing so, flow will be improved. Ready for this? The real change may happen soon after. If the city judges the closure of these sections a success, it is prepared to go even further and close the entire boulevard to vehicular access. The city plans on creating a truly pedestrian friendly walkway in the heart of the Manhattan theatre district. It will effectively become the biggest change to the makeup of the city, an urban companion to New York’s Central Park. There is a problem here, it is impossible to get downtown by bus now if you live on the West Side. I did it yesterday and what normally took 20 minutes now takes 45. I ride my bike and the pedestrians are in a word...rude, even though you are in a bike lane that means nothing in this city (see tomorrows column). Businesses don't want this. The people in the community don't want it. Who does....the tourist. Could this be a step in causing Mayor Bloomberg the election? There are other ways to make the city green, accessible and for the people who live here. Why does no one take this into consideration? Maybe if someone promised this in their election speeches the city would vote for them and that is a check mark of a F.A.C.T.

C: Is for California

Do we have the right to undo what God has put asunder. Obviously not California's Supreme Court, who ruled on Tuesday that 18,000 same-sex marriages performed before the ban were to remain valid. It did however uphold the ban on same sex marriages that voters passed in November. None of this is making sense anymore. Some can be married, some can't? Is it as the saying goes, it's all in the timing? But what about equality? Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Iowa all allow same sex marriages. In 2008 Proposition 8 passed with about 52.5 percent of the vote. This has become a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage. Where is separation between church and state? That is where the problem lies. The District of Columbia voted May 5 to recognize same sex marriages performed elsewhere, though it does not itself give marriage licenses to couples of the same sex. Now that makes sense, right? In New York we are about to face this same question. Gov. David Paterson introduced to legislation in April a bill to make same sex marriage legal. A similar bill died in the state Senate in 2007. In polls a slim majority of Americans are against legal recognition of same sex marriage. Fifty-four percent of Americans questioned say that marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid, but 44 percent said they should be considered legal. There is however a large gap between ages, with younger people far more likely to approve of gay marriage. The marriage debate has also changed for some Republicans. Steve Schmidt, of Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign said that allowing same sex marriage is in line with the conservative credo of keeping government out of people's private lives. McCain's daughter Meghan recently said the Republican Party needs to embrace issues facing gays and lesbians, approving of same sex marriage.

Issues divide a country and the way to conquer is to divide and this is quickly becoming a F.A.C.T