P.S. 150 students and parents painting “Save Our School” t-shirts last month.

BY KAITLYN MEADE AND JOSH ROGERS  |

Community Board 1’s Youth and Education Committee is calling for P.S. 150 to move to a larger  school building somewhere in Lower Manhattan rather than go up to Chelsea, as the city proposed last month.

While a hypothetical relocation to a larger school raised some eyebrows, the handful of P.S. 150 parents at the meeting generally approved of the new resolution and stressed the importance of their school being made available to Downtown families and remaining a part of the Tribeca community.

Wendy Chapman, head of P.S. 150′s P.T.A., thanked the committee for their hard work and active role in the ongoing drama since the news about the move went out on April 24.

She also took a moment to reiterate that the location itself in Tribeca was an important part of the school’s character, saying “People want to emphasize that P.S. 150 is part of our community and that means Manhattan Youth, that means Taste of Tribeca, that means the Tribeca Film Festival, that means Washington Market Park, that means the baseball field, that means Hurricane Sandy, that means the Putt Putt golf across the way. That’s our community, you know…. All of those things are walkable within five minutes of our school.”

The resolution heralds a potential compromise with the D.O.E., allowing a move from the small school building and one-class-per-grade model that has characterized it in its 30 years since it started as an early childhood learning center. However, both leaders of the committee warned parents that some compromise was necessary as the D.O.E. was most likely going to move the school one way or another.

“What they’ve already said is that there will be no one admitted to the kindergarten of 150 in 2014,” said Tricia Joyce, chairperson of the committee.  “What this was was a phase out of 150, not a relocation.”

Paul Hovitz, the Education Committee’s co-chairperson, said, “I think you would be hard-pressed at this point, and the parents should know, that you should accept that this school is going to grow. And our intention — from all of the stuff that Tricia and I have been hearing from other sources too — is that this school is not going to stay as a one-class-on-a-grade-school. It is going to grow. Our intention is to make sure we don’t lose you from our community. And that is what we’re going to fight for.”

The final decision on P.S. 150 has been pushed to September.  The new school that C.B. 1 and elected officials have been fighting for is a zoned, five-section-per-class school located below Canal St. It is the minimum amount of space needed to solve the area’s ever-growing overcrowding problems, said Joyce.

“My thought was to take what they want to do, and do it here,” said Joyce. “In other words, keep your school community together, move them into a larger  —  which we have been fighting for for some time and are making a full court press  —  on a five section per class school for Lower Manhattan, and have P.S. 150 do their growing out there.”

While Corie Sharples, a member of C.B.1 and P.S. 150 parent, said the idea of a five-section-per-grade school scared her a little, she said that there were also good reasons to consider expanding, especially for the upper grades.

“As much as we at P.S. 150 would all just like to be left alone the way we are, we understand that there are two sides, we are not unwilling to consider the idea that maybe the school would grow, but it’s really important to us to stay Downtown but it’s also important that we keep that character. So if there were a situation in which the school were proposed to grow, we want to make sure we keep that consideration of the small school feel…small school and community school,” she said.

Joyce, Hovitz and the other members of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s school taskforce are scheduled to meet June 12 with D.O.E. planners and are hoping the city recognizes the need for a new school in Lower Manhattan. At a task force meeting last Friday to discuss the 110 children waitlisted for this year’s kindergarten class,  different D.O.E. officials were chastised by a principal and parents for not moving plans along more quickly to find places.

Hovitz said the officials sent to last week’s meeting were like “cannon fodder.”

The Taste of Tribeca chefs, like many of us, miss Grandma’s cooking.

As a taste of Taste, we asked many of the chefs to talk about the dishes they’ll be serving this weekend, and for some of their cooking tips (read more chefs’ answers at downtownexpress.com). So keep an eye out for their tables, and toast to clear skies and fewer burned fingers.

Over 70 restaurants will be bringing their signature styles to the 19th annual culinary extravaganza to raise money for arts and enrichment programs at Tribeca’s P.S. 150 and P.S. 234.

The event tales place on Sat., May 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., rain or shine. In addition to an abundance of food, there will be family-friendly activities, cooking demonstrations and even a few wine tastings. General Taste Tickets, which entitle the holder to admission and six tastings, are $50, $45 in advance. Premium offerings are also available. Visit www.tasteoftribeca.com for more info.

Here is a selection of the top chefs:

Kamal Rose, Chef
Tribeca Grill
375 Greenwich St.
212-941-3900
myriadrestaurantgroup.com/tribeca_grill

Henry Meer, Chef
City Hall Restaurant
131 Duane St.
212-227-7777
www.cityhallnewyork.com

Madeline Lanciani, Chef/owner
Duane Park Patisserie
179 Duane St.
212-274-8447
www.duaneparkpatisserie.com

Alan Rodriguez, Chef
Los Americanos
305 Church St.
212-680-0101
losamericanos.com

Ricky Estralado, Chef
Nobu
105 Hudson St.
212-219-0500
www.noburestaurants.com

Rachel Thebault, Chef/owner
Tribeca Treats
94 Reade St.
212-571-0500
www.tribecatreats.com

Masaharu Morimoto, Chef
Tribeca Canvas
313 Church St.
917-720-2845
tribecacanvasnyc.com

Luis Nieto, Chef
The Palm
206 West St.
646-395-6393
www.thepalm.com/Tribeca

Jung Sik Yim, Chef
Jungsik
2 Harrison St.
212-219-0900
jungsik.kr

Zhenjiang Cao, Chef
Lotus Blue
110 Reade Street
212-267-3777
lotusbluebar.com

Kutsher’s Tribeca
186 Franklin St.
212-431-0606
kutsherstribeca.com

Carl Kristian Frederiksen, Chef
Aamanns-Copenhagen
13 Laight St.
212-925-1313
www.aamanns-copenhagen.com

Gage Jung, Chef
Yorganic
3 Hanover Square
212-968-9700
yorganicnyc.com

Francisco Gonzales, Chef
Maxwell’s Bar & Restaurant
59 Reade St.
917-261-6917
www.maxwellsnyc.com

Richard Farnabe, Chef
Soho Grand
310 W. Broadway
212-965-3000
www.sohogrand.com

Ari Bokovza, Chef
The Harrison
355 Greenwich St.
212-274-9310
www.theharrison.com/harrison.php

Dominick Rappa, Chef
Brick NYC
22 Warren St.
212-577-2725
www.bricknyc.com

Jehangir Mehta, Chef
Mehtaphor
130 Duane St.
212-542-9440
mehtaphornyc.com

–  BY KAITLYN MEADE AND JOSH ROGERS

Rachel Thebault, Chef/owner

Rachel Thebault, Chef/owner
Tribeca Treats
94 Reade St.
212-571-0500
www.tribecatreats.com

Dish served?
This year we’re serving cupcakes in assorted flavors as well as whoopee pies. We do the cupcakes because they have been a crowd pleaser every year, but this year whoopee pies are new for us at Taste of Tribeca. We decided to do them, because they’re quickly becoming one of our most popular treats!

Who taught you to cook?
Both my parents loved to cook, and I remember helping them from a very early age. My dad was a strict recipe follower, and my mom NEVER even opened a cookbook. I think that combo set me up for where I am today, as a lot of precision is needed in baking, but I’m not afraid to get creative in coming up with new flavor ideas or spin offs on old favorites.

Favorite food growing up?
People are always shocked when I say I have never had much of a sweet tooth. Growing up, my birthday dinner of choice was steak, baked potato and spinach salad — still a favorite meal of mine. Regarding desserts, though, I do have a weakness for dishes involving peanut butter, banana or marshmallow!

Splurge utensil?
For a real splurge, and if you have the space, a Kitchenaid standing mixer will transform your home baking experience. For less of a splurge, an offset spatula or a few pastry bags and piping tips — all of those can come in handy both for desserts and making beautiful hors d’ouevres.

Common mistake?
Not reading a recipe in its entirety before launching into it. It is so important to prep yourself by understanding the ingredients, equipment, timing and skills needed for a recipe before you get going on it.

Cooking injury?
I have suffered so many burns on my hands and forearms, they’re practically immune to heat, but fortunately I’ve had nothing major.

Last meal?
This is really hard to narrow down, as I love so many different foods, but whatever it was I’d want to eat it in the company of 8-10 great friends and have copious amounts of nice wine.

Madeline Lanciani, Chef/owner

Madeline Lanciani, Chef/owner
Duane Park Patisserie
179 Duane St.
212-274-8447
www.duaneparkpatisserie.com

Dish served?
Molten Chocolate Cake with bittersweet chocolate sauce — because everyone loves it!

Beverage/dish pairing?
We do not sell this retail. We supply caterers with this dessert — it is our best seller!

Who taught you to cook?
My mother — she was a slow food cook before anyone knew what that meant. she taught me everything.

Favorite food growing up?
Anything my mother cooked (seriously).

Splurge utensil?
A very good knife, preferably carbon steel blade.

Common mistake?
Following the recipe.

Cooking injury?
Third-degree burn from hot caramel sugar while making 6- 4 foot tall croquembouche.

Last meal?
I would cook a simple meal — whatever I was hungry for that day — and drink a great red burgundy.

Last meal?
Soft scrambled eggs, buttered rye toast. Last drink? Whatever it would be, it would be neat (no ice).

“For the past 19 years, Taste of Tribeca has been the biggest single fundraiser for both of the schools,” said P.S. 150’s Taste of Tribeca co-chairperson Hope Flamm. “This year is the biggest ever. The fact that 75 restaurants have signed up and have been very generous with their time and attention is amazing for us.”

They’ll be setting up tables along Duane St. between Greenwich and Hudson Sts. from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 18. The fair has expanded to include family entertainment and other offerings. There will be live music provided by City Winery and a Kids Zone that will feature face painting, clowns, a balloon artist, a children’s acting troupe and a martial arts demo.

“Because of all the budget cuts over the last four years, the money that comes in is invaluable. It goes to art, music programs, some dance programs,” said P.S. 234’s co-chairperson Naomi Daniels. “Without these funds, we wouldn’t necessarily be able to have these programs.”

This is Daniels third year as a chair for the event. Daniels’ three children attend P.S. 234, and she said her daughter just performed her dance and music for the class and her son is playing saxophone in the school’s concert — activities made possible by support from Taste.

At P.S. 150, Flamm said that the event has helped provide for a ballroom dance program, a creative dance program, storytelling, creative writing and science programs. P.S. 150 has also been a part of an architect in residence program for the past two years.

Many of the small school’s extra programs are funded by the P.T.A., such as hiring assistant teachers to help out in classrooms.

The dedication to parent involvement and enrichment programs draws a large number of parents to apply for kindergarten seats every year at P.S. 150, which is the only non-zoned traditional public school below Canal St. However, a recent proposal by the city Department of Education may move the school out of their Greenwich St. address and into a larger location in the former Foundling Hospital building in Chelsea.

The vote has been pushed back until September, said Flamm, but parents are still rallying to get support to stay in the neighborhood, not least because of Taste of Tribeca.

“If P.S. 150 were to move, it would be a big change in how Taste of Tribeca would be run,” Flamm said, adding that she could not say more as there are no defined plans yet. “We’re concentrating right now on Taste of Tribeca for this year.”

“A lot of our community comes out. It really is one of our best events in Tribeca,” she said.

Photo courtesy of the artist and La MaMa
Kid Lucky, at the 2011 La MaMa World Block Party.

Kid Lucky and La MaMa celebrate ‘the art of human noise’

BY TOM TENNEY  |  In a 1913 letter to the composer Francesco Balilla Pratella, Italian Futurist Luigi Russolo declared, “The variety of noises is infinite…today we have perhaps a thousand different machines, and can distinguish a thousand different noises, tomorrow, as new machines multiply, we will be able to distinguish ten, twenty, or thirty thousand different noises, not merely in a simply imitative way, but to combine them according to our imagination.”

This letter, which became a known as “The Art of Noises,” advocated a new sonic vocabulary through the imitation of machines — and became one of the most important manifestos in the history of sound.

As technological advances at the turn of the century paved the way for a revolution in mass media, they also created new possibilities for individual expression. By mid-century, the computer had opened new sonic territory by permitting an unprecedented extension of sounds and scales, pushing the boundaries of music beyond what the Futurists ever imagined.

In 1983, 70 years after Russolo’s letter, a British avant-garde electronic group that called itself The Art of Noise (after the manifesto) released a song that mixed sampled sounds of car engines and industrial machinery with time-warped drum beats and orchestral stabs. This song would become one of the most influential instrumentals in the world of hip-hop, sampled by artists from X-Clan to Marky Mark. The name of that song was “Beat Box.” A year later, an 18-year-old rapper from Harlem by the name of Doug E. Fresh pioneered the art of imitating electronic drum machines using only his voice. The art of “beatboxing” was born, and the verity of Russolo’s vision was, once again, affirmed. As do all musical genres, beatboxing has evolved in the intervening three decades, spawning a variety of techniques — including the “human turntable” (a style invented by Wise of the group Stetsasonic) and “mouth drumming” (developed by Wes Carroll).

From May 24-26, the Third Annual American Human Beatbox Festival at La MaMa Theatre will give New Yorkers the opportunity to sample some of the most eclectic beatboxing styles by artists who make percussive rhythms with the human voice.

Photo courtesy of the artist
Baba Israel, on the bill of May 24’s Beat-Rhyming battlers.

This three-day exhibition of performances, workshops and film kicks off on Friday night with a battle, not of beatboxers, but beatrhymers — performers who beatbox and rhyme at the same time. Beatrhyming was developed and popularized by the festival’s curator, Kid Lucky, who coined the term, and who characterizes the new style as one that allows the performer to move beyond simply providing a beat. Beatrhyming adds language — poetry, rap, song, spoken word — to the vocal effects, freeing the piece to take off in new directions.

“Beatboxers listen to the beat,” Lucky explains, “Emcees listen to the words. With beatrhyming, we listen to the whole concept of the song.” Kid Lucky isn’t the first to beatrhyme, and readily acknowledges those who went before him — like Biz Markie, Darren Robinson of the Fat Boys and Rahzel of the Roots, who astonished hip-hop audiences by beatboxing and singing the chorus simultaneously on “If Your Mother Only Knew.”

For the most part, however, Lucky has seen beatboxers use beatrhyming mainly as a musical machination, a trick for cheap applause. Lucky, who began beatrhyming in the mid-90s, saw the potential to elevate the style into an art form in its own right. “People used beatrhyming as a trick, or a gimmick,” he says, “I saw it as something much more than that. I saw the possibilities to take the concept and push it beyond the boundaries of what anybody else is doing. That’s how you move from gimmick to art.” He’s also quick to point out that beatrhyming doesn’t necessarily mean rapping, but can include a number of vocal styles (such as singing and spoken word).

When La MaMa approached Kid Lucky to curate the first beatboxing festival in 2010, he saw an opportunity to challenge traditional notions of beatboxing, and bring his innovations to a wider audience, many of whom still maintain rigid definitions of beatboxing as a human emulation of technology.

Photo courtesy of the artist
Rabbi Darkside, one of the May 25 Vocal Wars warriors.

While he recognizes the cultural roots of beatboxing as “man-imitating-machine,” Lucky sees beatrhyming as an opportunity to reintroduce the human element, or “soul,” back into the art. “Beatboxing, which began by imitating the Roland 808 drum machine, is more concerned with the electronic aspect,” he explains, “but as beatboxing moves further, it emphasizes the soul and the feeling as opposed to the technical aspect of it.”

For Kid Lucky, the next step in the advancement of beatrhyming is handing his skills down to a new generation of performers. He teaches weekly beatrhyming workshops at Midtown’s famous Funkadelic Studios, and plans to develop them into a school of what he calls “Mixed Vocal Arts” — an institution that will teach not only his signature style, but also an entire array of vocal techniques including humming, whistling, scatting, vocal sound effects, singing, spoken word, yodeling, rapping and Tuvan throat singing.

The concept of the school was born of Lucky’s frustration with the limited number of styles represented in universities and professional training schools. Scat singing, for example, a uniquely American form of jazz vocalization popularized by Ella Fitzgerald in the 1950s, isn’t taught at most universities. “With scatting, Ella Fitzgerald became a whole entire instrument right there, and people went crazy,” Lucky said. “Why would you stop doing that? Why would you stop pushing that type of situation forward?”

Those who wish to experience this “pushing forward” in person should check out the beatrhyming battle on May 24, where the performers will include D-Cross, Kid Lucky, Kaila, Graffiti, Richard, Esalaah, Kenny Urban, Mandibul, Menyu and Baba Israel. Saturday morning, bring your baby beatboxers to the Kids Beatbox Workshop, and then come back for the emcee/beatboxer team battles at 10pm. Sunday offerings include “Nos States” — a documentary about French beatboxer Princeps, followed by a tribute to the late Steve Ben Israel. It’ll be a unique celebration of music, beats, words and the art of human noise.

Tom Tenney is a performer, producer, sound artist and founder of the annual RE/Mixed Media Festival in Brooklyn, NY (remixnyc.com).  He currently teaches media theory at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY. Follow him on Twitter at @tomtenney, or follow his blog at
inc.ongruo.us.

Image courtesy of the artist and Lori Bookstein Fine Art.
Elena Sisto: “At Midnight” (2010, oil on linen, 36 x 40 inches).

Our critic’s top gallery picks

ELENA SISTO: BETWEEN THE SILVER LIGHT AND ORANGE SHADOW

Sisto’s first solo show with the gallery serves as the final venue for the traveling museum exhibition of the same title. For the last three years, Sisto’s paintings have explored the formative years of young women artists. Most show three-quarter profiles of women against the backdrop of the studio or while partially hidden behind the canvas. These intimate depictions offer deep insight into the psychology of each sitter. Though abstracted, Sisto’s subjects maintain unique personalities and dispositions that hint at the possibility of narrative.

Through May 25, at Lori Bookstein Fine Art (138 10th Ave., btw. 18th & 19th Sts.). Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10:30am-6pm. Call 212-750-0949 or visit loribooksteinfineart.com. 

Installation Shot courtesy of The Drawing Center, photo by Cathy Carver.
This vitrine contains various Giosetta Fioroni drawings, including some from her childhood as well as images representing a performance she did in 1968. On view through June 2, at The Drawing Center.

GIOSETTA FIORONI: L’ARGENTO

Curated by Claire Gilman, this exhibition is Fioroni’s first solo show in North America. It features over 80 works by the Italian artist, dating from the 1950s to the mid-1970s. In her drawings, paintings, films, theater designs and illustrations, Fioroni responded to the increasingly commercial culture of her time. However, in contrast to the American Pop artists, her focus remained on hand-rendering images rather than deriving them from commercial advertisements. Born in 1932, Fioroni was the only female member of the Scuola di Piazza del Popolo — a group of artists that emerged in Rome during the 1960s. She continues to live and work in Rome.

Through June 2, at The Drawing Center (35 Wooster St., btw. Broome & Grand Sts.). Hours: Wed, Fri.-Sun., 12-6pm. and Thurs., 12-8pm. Call 212-219-2166 or visit drawingcenter.org.

Courtesy of the artist and Metro Pictures
Sara VanDerBeek: “Roman Women VIII” (2013, 2 Digital C-Prints, 20 x 16 inches–each image size; 50.8 x 40.6 cm, 20 1/2 x 16 3/8 inches (each frame size), 52.1 x 41.6 cm. Edition of 3.

Sara VanDerBeek

In her first solo show with the gallery, VanDerBeek presents new photographs and sculptures that explore the translation of memory into image and form. Her research stems from recent travels to Paris, Rome and Naples — where she explored archeological sites and museum collections of classical and neoclassical sculpture. Largely inspired by ancient female figures, VanDerBeek has created, among others, a group of photographs of large marble and metal female figures, colorized with blue and pink Plexiglas, that are seen opposite a colonnade of rectilinear modular forms.

Through June 8, at Metro Pictures (519 W. 24th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm. Call 212-206-7100 or visit metropicturesgallery.com.

Courtesy of Feature Inc., New York
Dike Blair: “Dance Dance Dance” (2011; paint on wood, framed mixed media on paper; 72 x 55 x 216”).

DIKE BLAIR: SCULPTURE

Blair’s sculptures are assemblages. They are comprised of painted wooden shipping crates, which in the past have contained framed gouache paintings or objects like Noguchi lamps. While the abstract geometric aspects of Blair’s work evoke a range of modernist movements, including the De Stijl, it remains very much rooted in the here and now. Conceptually, these sculptures address notions of storage, furniture and the human body. They bring attention to the banal and transitory details of everyday life, feeling both personal and mediated.

Through June 2, at Feature Inc. (131 Allen St., btw. Delancey & Rivington Sts.). Hours: Wed.-Sun., 12-6pm. Call 212-675-7772 or visit featureinc.com

–  BY STEPHANIE BUHMANN

Fruit Wars: 

“To our customers,” said one handwritten sign soliciting signatures for the petition. “Restaurant owners trying to move us from here. But we will be here with our lovely customers so let you know. Thank you for your support.”

“Do not worry Ms. SouthWest NY,” said another sign. “We will sell only fresh fruits, not hot food.”

Yet another sign declared, “We are 1000 percent legal here.”

Abraham Merchant thinks otherwise. In response to an inquiry, he cited Section 20-465 (a), (b), (d), (m), (n) and (q) (1) of the New York City administrative code governing fruit stands.

It says, in part, “No general vendor shall engage in any vending business on any sidewalk unless such sidewalk has at least a twelve-foot wide clear pedestrian path to be measured from the boundary of any private property to any obstructions in or on the sidewalk, or if there are no obstructions, to the curb.”

No vending cart is allowed to be within 20 feet of the entranceway to “any building, store, theatre, movie house, sports arena or other place of public assembly.”

No general vendor may vend “within twenty feet from sidewalk cafes.”

This Wednesday, on a sunny, warm afternoon, the sidewalk café at SouthWest NY was thronged with people, who did not especially seem to mind the fruit cart, which was back in its usual site. A woman pushing a baby stroller stopped to buy some blueberries and bananas. Another woman purchased some grapes.

Whether this represented a permanent ceasefire between the warring parties or a temporary halt in hostilities wasn’t clear. The fruit vendor declared that everything was fine, adding that Merchant owned the restaurant but he didn’t own the sidewalk and the street.

No tape measures were in evidence. Stay tuned.

Slow Zones for B.P.C.? At certain times of the day, pedestrians have to hustle to cross North End and South End Avenues safely. Both streets are wide and are increasingly traversed by tour buses as well as by neighborhood vehicles and taxis. South End Avenue has two traffic lights, one on Liberty St. and one on Albany St. North End Avenue has traffic lights at Vesey St.  and Murray St. Otherwise it’s a free for all.

The New York City Department of Transportation has agreed to undertake a traffic calming study for Battery Park City, but in the meantime, Councilmember Margaret Chin suggested that “Neighborhood Slow Zones” might help to increase pedestrian safety.

These zones reduce speed limits from 30 to 20 m.p.h. and add other safety measures to help change driver behavior. Gateways consisting of signs and markings at Slow Zone intersections alert drivers to the reduced speed limit. Speed bumps and other traffic calming measures are typically installed as well.

Community Board 1’s Battery Park City Committee approved a resolution last week asking for Slow Zones on South End and North End Avenues. Should the resolution be approved by the full board May 28, as expected, C.B. 1 and Councilmember Chin’s office will jointly submit an application to D.O.T. The cut-off date to apply is May 31.

If the city approves the application, the Slow Zones would be installed in 2014.

Shakes for charity:  Battery Park City’s Shake Shack in Goldman Sachs alley is raising money for charity this month. An organization called Share Our Strength has teamed up with Shake Shack to raise money to feed hungry children. According to Share Our Strength, one in five children in the United States doesn’t have enough to eat. The “No Kid Hungry” campaign connects kids in need to effective nutrition programs such as school breakfasts and summer meals and teaches low-income families to cook healthy, affordable meals.

Through May 31, anyone who donates $2 to this campaign at Shake Shack will receive a card good for a complimentary shake — valued at $5 — to be used on their next visit. One hundred percent of donations will go to No Kid Hungry.

Downtown Express photos by Terese Loeb Kreuzer
The Norwegian Breakaway

Norwegian Breakaway in Manhattan:  Anyone with a view of the Hudson River from Midtown South to the Battery will get an eyeful on Sundays from here out when Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Norwegian Breakaway, arrives on the morning tide and departs on the evening tide, headed for Bermuda. The ship made its debut in New York City on May 7.

Norwegian Breakaway, the length of three and a half football fields, can carry 4,000 passengers and has 1,600 in its crew. The largest ship to homeport in New York City, it’s a floating poster child for everything New York from the Peter Max paintings on its prow to its godmothers (the Rockettes) to the images projected on the two-story-tall LED screen in its lobby. No Lower Manhattanite need get homesick aboard this leviathan when there are giant pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge, the di Suvero sculpture on Broadway at Zuccotti Park, and of course, the Statue of Liberty.

For those who see the ship pass by and wonder what it’s like aboard, here’s the scoop: There are 27 restaurants, a water park with five water slides, a ropes course (the largest at sea), and three Broadway-style shows.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s C.E.O., Kevin Sheehan, said: “If you can’t provide all the bells and whistles you have in these big ships, people are going to be under-impressed.”

Downtown Express photos by Terese Loeb Kreuzer
Water play area aboard the cruise ship.

However, one of the most impressive things for many passengers is the trip up and down the Hudson River. From an upper deck (the ship is 18 decks tall), it’s possible to see much of Manhattan, the harbor and parts of Brooklyn.

Another treat is to witness the sunrise over the sea and the moon and stars away from city lights.

Norwegian Breakaway is expected to put $35 million a year into New York City’s coffers. Welcome.

To comment on Battery Park City Beat and to suggest article ideas, email TereseLoeb10@gmail.com

To The Editor:

I don’t find anything ceremonial about the topping of a spire of a building that was hardly liked by the people (Posted DowntownExpress.com, May 2, “Last spire piece reaches top of 1 W.T.C.— assembly required”).

Not only is this so-called One World Trade Center truly not the tallest building in the hemisphere, but not in the nation, or the state.

The main reason why I don’t appreciate this building is because of the fact that it was built in the fear of a terrorist attack rather than having back what was taken us from that day, which was the Twin Towers, making it nothing more than a bad replacement.  In reality, we really did let the terrorists change us on 9/11 by allowing for this to be built.

Just imagine if this was the Empire State Building or Statue of Liberty that was destroyed and those in charge said that they didn’t want them rebuilt either because they would claim it would be disrespectful to those that died, or that it would just become another target.

Tal Barzilai

Religious education 

To The Editor:

I have taken note of the report of “No Charter Member” on your website (UnderCover, May 1 – 14). I appreciate that your website exposes the fraudulent letter of intent submitted by Miss Wang Tongwen (Dr. Lotus King Weiss). However, I’d also like to point out two critical misconceptions in your report: One, Falun Gong is not a controversial practice; two, Miss Wang Tongwen is not a genuine Falun Gong practitioner.

Many democratic countries in the world, including allies of the Chinese Communist Party, recognize Falun Dafa (Falun Gong), and in these countries Falun Dafa are free to practice and spread. Falun Dafa is one of the mainstream beliefs in most countries except communist China.

Falun Dafa (minghui.org and Clearwisdom.net) has issued a note and clearly declared that Miss Wang Tongwen is not a true Falun Gong practitioner.

Wang Tongwen claims that she wants to spread the doctrine (teaching) of Confucius, but it is well known that Confucius is an atheist (Analects of Confucius clearly says that he does not believe in God). Falun Dafa practitioners are theists, who worship Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi and his teachings “Zhuan Falun”. It is impossible for a true Falun Dafa practitioner to try to spread Confucius’ atheism.

We are grateful for your kind attention to Falun Dafa and its cause. We hope your can post our open letter to clarify the situation.

Juliana Song

Flushing, New York

Number one, send out kindergarten seat offers now for every slot open in Lower Manhattan. As we report this week, there are about 15 openings that are sitting there, while the Education Dept. waits to get answers for everyone.

Every day that goes by without an offer is another day of unnecessary pain for 110 families. Some are looking to move out of an area that the city, state and federal government have been working for decades to grow  — an effort that took on a renewed urgency in the years after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Number two, decide right now how many more temporary classrooms you are going to open at Tweed Courthouse. This decision alone has the potential to solve the entire problem — it certainly could put a huge dent in it.

The Education Dept. has not yet even considered this solution which is literally under their noses in their own headquarters.

The building is being used as temporary space  for the Peck Slip School. The school, when it opens in 2015, will be able to accommodate five kindergarten classes, but now it can only take in two per year in temporary space. That means the school could potentially accommodate  three more classes—75 students — if  more classroom space were found.

Number three, propose a plan for P.S 150 that parents support.  Even if there are merits to the idea of moving the non-zoned Tribeca school to Chelsea — a point we’re not at all conceding — but even if there are good reasons to do it, the timing of the proposal was disastrous, making a horrible overcrowding situation worse. A solution to this problem will reduce the waiting lists at the other Lower Manhattan schools.

Incoming P.S. 150 parents expecting to get a small neighborhood school have had their long-term plans upset. Parents are now being pitted against parents as these families naturally look for space in other Lower Manhattan schools.

At the very least, the current P.S. 150 community, including incoming kindergartners, deserves an assurance that they will continue to have seats in their current building or a suitable site in Lower Manhattan.

That may not satisfy all families, but we were pleased to see that the P.S. 150 parents who attended Tuesday night’s Community Board 1 committee meeting generally supported the board’s resolution to find a new Lower Manhattan location for a larger P.S. 150.

We were glad to see Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver press the city to speed up its timetable for quicker answers. His critics will no doubt see this as Silver unfairly throwing his weight around, but the fact is the population growth in Lower Manhattan is unique to the city, and Downtown is lucky to have such a powerful advocate.

The Dept. of Education should not let one more day go by without actively pursuing every potential school location that the dedicated members of Silver’s task force have suggested. The current plan is to wait a month to tell waitlisted parents how far their children will have to walk or be bused for the next six years.

Last Friday, at Silver’s school meeting, one of these parents invited the D.O.E. to come to explain to her daughter why the girl can’t continue at her school after pre-K.

Officials can make 109 other visits like that, or they can start making some of those families happy now.