The Manhattan Times

by Daniel P. Bader

On Tue., Jan. 6, a line of third graders from P.S. 155 chatted excitedly on the sidewalk of Third Avenue as the Three Kings passed by, led by a star. But they squealed with delight at what followed.

The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) has joined the Kleenex brand to look for aspiring artists to help Kleenex celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in 2009. The search is part of a unique, national art contest the Kleenex brand is launching this month around the theme of Latino pride.

Local developer Jose Espinal, sitting in the back of the Jan. 6 Community Board 12 Economic Development Committee meeting, said he is planning to add three floors and 210 more parking spots to the Staples parking garage on Broadway and W. 184th Street.

by Adam Garrett Clark

It’s 6 a.m. on a chilly Tuesday and Production Staffing Office Manager Carmen Pascual is shutting the side door of a van filled with 15 workers ready to make their way to their job sites.

by Daniel P. Bader

It’s heavier than you’d think, an Emmy Award, that is. And bigger. Na Eng, a television news producer and Inwood resident, knows because there’s one sitting on her desk.

by Adam Garrett Clark

My epic love affair with the ancient art of sushi began in the womb, as sashimi was one of the few things my mother could stomach when she was pregnant with me. Japanese people would stare at her in Japantown in San Francisco as she wolfed down plates of raw tuna. I’ve matured into a pompous sushi-snob who terrorizes misinformed waitresses on their usage of Japanese terms: knowledge of the difference between “nigiri” (sliced fish over a rectangle of rice) and “maki” (the term for any typical sushi roll) ought to be a pre-requisite for employment.

by Daniel P. Bader

Along with the economy, the development of 1 Bennett Park has slowed down. Silence has been the main sound coming from the 25-story, 114-unit development since rock breaking – and everything else – ceased in the fall. Two concrete footings, poured in late June before an early July strike by concrete truck drivers, were the last visible work done on the site.

by Daniel P. Bader

In 2005, the number of members belonging to the Fort Tryon Jewish Center on Ft. Washington Avenue near W. 183rd Street had shrunk to just 75. With the help of professional cantors and visiting rabbis the faithful congregation had managed things themselves for over a decade without a resident rabbi.

In November, the Mother Cabrini High School (MCHS) rowing team attended a presentation and luncheon with U.S. Olympic rowing gold medalist Anna Cummins at Cathedral High School in New York City. Cummins spoke about her involvement in the sport and shared footage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic women’s eight-person race, which brought the U.S. rowing team its first gold win since 1984.

by Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda

This is that time of the year when we think of what we might want to change in the New Year. I recognize that one of my resolutions this year is to write a column on a semi-regular basis. I have in the past gotten excited about writing columns for the Manhattan Times that can have a positive impact on readers. Like the resolution made by many to exercise, my motivation slowly faded.